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'People here are their own gods': the migration of South African social workers to England

Research Output: Contribution to journal Article Peer-review

Open access

Abstract

The migration of social workers has become an established trend internationally. Existing research largely ignored the impact of culture on this migration. The study presented here focused on the experiences of social workers who were trained in South Africa and migrated to England. South African-trained social workers had to adjust to significant cultural differences, ranging from the place of religion, the characteristics of the family and parenting, forms of interpersonal communication and what is considered polite and impolite behaviour. Whilst these issues have a wide societal impact, they also shape the daily reality of practising social workers. Implications for practice are discussed, and pre-migration education about the host country’s structures, a systemic induction process, mentorship and supervision with an emphasis on culture, is recommended.

Publication Information

Output type

Research Output: Contribution to journal Article Peer-review

Original language

English

Pages from-to (Number of pages)

Pages 2019-2037 (19 pages)

Journal (Volume, Issue Number)

British Journal of Social Work (Volume 53, Issue 4)

Publication milestones

  • Accepted/In press - 07/10/2022
  • Published - 12/11/2022

Publication status

Published - 12/11/2022

ISSN

0045-3102

External Publication IDs

  • handle.net: 10547/625574
  • Scopus: 85164505734

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