Transforming communities through Ubuntu philosophy: prerequisites, opportunities, and implications for social work practice in Africa

Abstract

The African philosophy of Ubuntu has emerged as a counterweight strategy to the pervasive consequences of long-term individualism entrenched in African social work because of its western origins. This chapter contends that African social workers can utilise Ubuntu philosophy in transforming poor communities and building resilient societies. This requires understanding the principles of Ubuntu and its embeddedness in African cultures as necessary prerequisites for this transformation. Its emphasis on collectivism as social capital, interconnectedness, and equality of human beings can be used to transform poor communities, thereby creating enormous opportunities for social work practitioners in Africa to enrich the lives of their clients. By implication, African social work practice is asked to promote bottom-up community-led interventions built on local voices/experiences. Keywords: Ubuntu philosophy, social work theory, community transformation, resilient communities, indigenous social work, decolonial social work, Africa