Decolonizing the “Well-being ” Concept & Social Work Practice through the Lens of Buddhism

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Yau, Carmen and Siu, David. 2024. Decolonizing the “Well-being ” Concept & Social Work Practice through the Lens of Buddhism. In: Carmen Yau, ed. The Routledge International Handbook of Global Social Work. Abingdon: Routledge. [Book Section] (In Press)

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Abstract or Description

Decolonization of social work education is essential for the promotion of equality and diversity in today’s contemporary world. Social work is being questioned to be oppressive as teaching, learning and practice are rooted in hegemonic, colonial discourses, with a focus on Eurocentric practice. The Western ideology of well-being was perpetuated through social work education and practice in mental health. This chapter aims to discuss how Buddhism can theoretically inform and lead social work practice in the contemporary era. The chapter first demonstrates how Buddhism can be developed into be theory-driven practice. As a theory-driven practice, Buddhism’s teachings, such as the three poisons of “greed, ignorance and hatred”, peace and happiness, and “letting go”, are introduced and conceptualized to form an alternative meaning and practice of well-being . The chapter illustrates how Buddhism can be translated into compassionate approaches, counselling skills, and evidence-based practice in casework and group work. Several Mindfulness-based Interventions (MBIs) are summarized to review their effectiveness. The chapter concludes by reviewing the benefits and strengths of Buddhism-based practice. Further recommendations are made on decolonial education in social work.

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