The Historical Expansion of Social Work Education in Tanzania with Ubuntu Lens – A Case of Ujamaa Intersections Model

Abstract

Ujamaa intersections model (UIM) guided the literature review on the historical expansion of social work education in Tanzania with Ubuntu lens. Like other pre-colonial African societies, Tanzania’s all aspects of life were under Ubuntu philosophy that formed the basis of Indigenous social work education and practice. During colonial rule in Tanzania, colonial legacy underestimated existed Ubuntu education in the country until the post-independence of 1961 when the champion of Ubuntu the late Dr. Julius Nyerere (Ubuntu PhD) restored Ubuntu values and practice into Ujamaa policy framework. Findings have shown that Ujamaa is amid the core value of African Ubuntu, the Ujamaa policy framework succeeded to decolonised education practice in the country through education for self-reliance where integration of Ubuntu into social work education through UIM became realistic. UIM is formed by interchangeable sections in the community namely family, extended families, local leadership, ecology spirituality and wider attributes of community that created advantageous ecology for practical based education. The compatibility of Ujamaa Intersections Model and Social work education supported community development activities, students spent a half of their practical learning into community, community engagement supported to share wisdom, cultural values and actual challenged faced by the community. Overtime Ujamaa contributed on the restoration of the indigenous social work education and UIM has remained a component of social work education in the country. Despite of success of Ujamaa policy framework in restoring and integrating Ubuntu approaches in social work education in the past two decades the Structural Adjustment Policies and globalization has continue to affect the social work education component in the country. Lack of supportive social work legal framework disempowered TASWO and TESWEP into completing the mission of indigenization social work education in the country. It’s recommended for endorsement of a single social work policy and comprehensive social work legislation necessary to promote the indigenization of social work education and practice in Tanzania.