Jim Ife – författare

Focussing on the epistemic – the way in which knowledge is understood,constructed,transmitted and used – this book shows the way social workknowledge has been constructed from within a white western paradigm, andthe need for a critique of whiteness within social work at this epistemic level.Social work, emerging from the western Enlightenment world, has privilegedwhite western knowledge in ways that have been, until recently, largely unexaminedwithin its professional discourse. This imposition of white westernways of knowing has led to a corresponding marginalisation of other formsof knowledge. Drawing on views from social workers from Asia, the Pacificregion, Africa, Australia and Latin America, this book also includes a glossaryof over 40 commonly used social work terms, which are listed with their epistemologicalassumptions identified. Opening up a debate about the receivedwisdom of much social work language as well as challenging the epistemologicalassumptions behind conventional social work practice, this book will beof interest to all scholars and students of social work as well as practitionersseekingto develop genuinely decolonised forms of practice.

In Human Rights from Below, Jim Ife shows how human rights and community development are problematic terms but powerful ideals, and that each is essential for understanding and practising the other. Ife contests that practitioners - advocates, activists, workers and volunteers - can better empower and protect communities when human rights are treated as more than just a specialist branch of law or international relations, and that human rights can be better realised when community development principles are applied. The book offers a long overdue assessment of how human rights and community development are invariably interconnected. It highlights how critical it is to understand the two as a basis for thinking about and taking action to address the serious challenges facing the world in the twenty-first century. Written both for students and for community development and human rights workers, Human Rights from Below brings together the important fields of human rights and community development, to enrich our thinking of both.

Focussing on the epistemic – the way in which knowledge is understood,constructed,transmitted and used – this book shows the way social workknowledge has been constructed from within a white western paradigm, andthe need for a critique of whiteness within social work at this epistemic level.Social work, emerging from the western Enlightenment world, has privilegedwhite western knowledge in ways that have been, until recently, largely unexaminedwithin its professional discourse. This imposition of white westernways of knowing has led to a corresponding marginalisation of other formsof knowledge. Drawing on views from social workers from Asia, the Pacificregion, Africa, Australia and Latin America, this book also includes a glossaryof over 40 commonly used social work terms, which are listed with their epistemologicalassumptions identified. Opening up a debate about the receivedwisdom of much social work language as well as challenging the epistemologicalassumptions behind conventional social work practice, this book will beof interest to all scholars and students of social work as well as practitionersseekingto develop genuinely decolonised forms of practice.

In Community Development in an Uncertain World, Jim Ife draws on the principles of social justice, ecological responsibility and post-Enlightenment and Indigenous perspectives to advance new holistic approaches to community development. The book explores the concept of community development on a local and international scale in the context of globalisation and postcolonial theory. Students will gain the essential skills and practical understanding required to navigate the existing managerial environment and cultivate new community practices. This new edition incorporates current research into community development and includes important new work on 'alternative visions' for a sustainable and just future. It introduces the foundational theories of community development and explains their importance in shaping solutions to uniquely modern issues. Readers are encouraged to critically engage with the material through the accompanying discussion questions. Written in an accessible, engaging style, this text is an essential resource for students and professionals in the human services.

Now in its third edition, Human Rights and Social Work explores how the principles of human rights inform contemporary social work practice. Jim Ife considers the implications of social work's traditional Enlightenment heritage and the possibilities of 'post-Enlightenment' practice in a way that is accessible, direct and engaging. The world has changed significantly since the publication of the first edition in 2000 and this book is situated firmly within the context of present-day debates, concerns and crises. Ife covers the importance of relating human rights to the non-human world, as well as the consequences of political and ecological uncertainty. Featuring examples, further readings and a glossary, readers are able to identify and investigate the important issues and questions arising from human rights and social work. Now more than ever, Human Rights and Social Work is an indispensable resource for students, scholars and practitioners alike.

Social workers are increasingly faced with contemporary global challenges such as inequality, climate change and displacement of people. As a field committed to supporting the world's most vulnerable populations and communities, social work must adapt to meet the needs of this changing global landscape. Re-imagining Social Work broadens the imaginative horizons for social workers and acquaints readers with their potential to creatively contribute to global change. Written in an accessible style, this book motivates readers to think outside the box when it comes to linking theory to their social work practice, in order to construct innovative solutions to prominent social problems. Re-imagining Social Work provides a unique perspective on how social work can evolve for the future. Through theory and critical perspective, this book provides the skills required to be an innovative creative social worker.

Human Rights and Social Work: Towards Rights-Based Practice helps students and practitioners understand how human rights concepts underpin the social work profession and inform their practice. This book examines the three generations of human rights and the systems of oppression that prevent citizens from participating in society as equals. It explores a range of topics, from ethics and ethical social work practice, to deductive and inductive approaches to human rights, and global and local human rights discourses. The language, processes, structures and theories of social work that are fundamental to the profession are also discussed. This edition features case studies exploring current events, movements and human rights crises, including the Black Lives Matter movement, the Northern Territory Emergency Response, and homelessness among LGBTIQA+ young people. This edition is accompanied by online resources for both students and instructors. Human Rights and Social Work is an indispensable guide for social work students and practitioners.

Using international perspectives and case studies, this book discusses the relationships between community development and populism in the context of today’s widespread crisis of democracy.It investigates the development, meanings and manifestations of contemporary forms of populism and explores the synergies and contradictions between the values and practices of populism and community development.Contributors examine the ways that the ascendancy of right-wing populist politics is influencing the landscapes within which community development is located and they offer new insights on how the field can understand and respond to the challenges of populism.