Decolonizing social work: Lessons for social work practice and education from the Jamaican Diaspora transnational movement

Abstract

Social work practice has become increasingly concerned with decolonization and anti-oppressive approaches. Both terms can be ambiguous and practice examples are often difficult to identify. This article describes the Jamaican Diaspora movement and its use of transnational communities to broker power and resist the status quo, serving as examples of decolonial and anti-oppressive orientations. The authors trace the evolution of the Diaspora as a transnational movement, and discuss how centering interdependence and community can be used to move practice toward decolonization. Implications for social work practice and education are discussed, particularly as it relates to serving diverse racial/ethnic communities.