A pragmatic approach to social development: Part 2

This is the second part of a two-part article which documents the conclusions of a group of experienced social work practitioners regarding the theory of social development and its applicability to social work practice in South Africa. Part I (published in Social Work/Maatskaplike Werk 33(3):210-222) examined the theoretical underpinnings of social development which was advanced as primarily a normative macro policy perspective within which to situate a changed focus for social work practice. It was argued that social development did not present anything radically new to social workers and could even be described as the ecosystems perspective in a new guise and that, like the ecosystems perspective, social development attempted too much. Part 2 examines the relevance of social development theory to social work practice in South Africa across a wide variety of contexts. A pragmatic approach is taken wherein it is argued that the changed focus necessitates a wider use of interventive strategies other than individual and family casework. Of equal importance are the strategies of social policy analysis and development, participatory and action research, rural and multisectoral work, and community development. Social work in South Africa is undergoing a major paradigm shift. This is a process that involves a critical examination of current social work roles, programmes, services and policies. There is increased interest in a developmental paradigm for social welfare. Several writers in social work have called for the transformation and radicalisation of social work roles in response to the socioeconomic conditions that prevail in South Africa (Ntebe 1994; Phiyega 1993). The Reconstruction and Development Programme (ANC 1994) provides a policy framework for developmental social welfare. The development of the White Paper for Social Welfare (1996) marked the acceptance of the developmental approach to social welfare. It brought about an understanding of a vision of a comprehensive, integrative, equitable, multidisciplinary and developmental approach. It set a policy framework that needs to be integrated into various social work practice settings. As Lombard (1996) stated, what is lacking now is knowledge as to 'how' to implement the policy. This paper examines the relevance of social development to social work practice across a wide variety of contexts in South Africa and shows that social workers already have the know-how for its implementation. Social development roles and strategies are not unfamiliar to social workers. All that is required is a change in focus