THE INFORMALITY PARADIGM IN SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE IN AFRICA: Philosophy, Continuity, and Prospects for Integration into Professional Practice

The introduction of professional social work in Africa by the colonial administration disregarded indigenous, herein, informal ways of knowing, being, and doing. The post-independence governments in Africa have also failed to expand social services to most populations, who until today depend on informal social services. As such, professional social work has lacked presence and relevance in many localities. This chapter engages with the possibilities of enhancing African social work thinking, education, and practice through utilising knowledge outside the boundaries of formal social work education and extending the frontiers of social work education to include informal learning. Through use of a qualitative systematic review methodology, the chapter advances the view that informal social work across African communities offers an alternative paradigm through which professional practice and education can be enhanced. The chapter first conceptualises informal social work, explores its pervasive continuity in Africa, and articulates its philosophical framework. Then, it visualises informal social work in practice with marginalised populations and its critiques as a paradigm. Finally, the prospects for integration of informal and professional social work are discussed. It is hoped the chapter will contribute to the decolonisation debate that seeks to place greater emphasis on building contextual indigenous knowledge for an African-oriented social work.