Glocalization and international social work education: A comparative study of Palestine, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Yemen, Egypt, Libya, and Morocco

Abstract

This comparative descriptive study sought to determine the impact of glocalization on international social work education. Using quantitative methods, this study reports objective findings for a randomly selected, non-probability, purposive sample of 178 faculty members who were geographically distributed among faculties and departments of social work at 22 universities in eight Arab countries. The primary research instrument used was a standardized paper and pencil questionnaire. Data analysis of the responses of the faculty members found that participants’ attitudes were equally weak on the track of glocalization and international social work education. This could be attributed to the variables of faculty members, social work students, university textbooks, quality of library services, methods of teaching, field practicum, and quality of student evaluation. In contrast, the attitudes of the faculty members averaged on the track of glocalization and international social work education, which could be attributed to the variable of social work curricula. The analysis also revealed a marked absence of sustained contact with social work professionals and scholars from other regions and societies of the world.

Requirements for the development of a professional social work practice with groups in light of Saudi Vision 2030

“…Also, Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 urges the application of Islamic teachings in all areas, and in most Arab countries the teaching and practice of social work are based on Islamic education, rather than cultural assumptions emanating from Europe and North America. Reinforcing the Arab status of the profession in Arab countries challenges Western academic and professional hegemony, while also being mindful of the need to practice across national borders and respond to the local needs and problems (Ibrahim, 2017).…”

Social work education in Turkey at the crossroads: An analysis of educational trends and socio-political context in a historical perspective

“…In this regard, glocal social and cultural processes, structures and practices can be best understood with glocal theoretical and conceptual frameworks. As also mentioned by İbrahim (2017), a glocal approach is also essential in generating the knowledge in social work. However, the key informants in our research emphasized that despite the recent expansion, the academic social work community in higher education has had insufficient potential to construct an alternative and local social work model.…”

“…The reflections of those transformations in social work education and the profession have not been sufficiently discussed for many countries or regions across the world. Even though the transmission and the localization of the Western social work paradigm were explored in a few contexts, including the Middle East (Ragab, 2016), Arab nations (İbrahim, 2017), the Asia-Pacific region (Pawar, 2010; Shek et al, 2017) and for some thirdworld countries (Palattiyil et al, 2019), the Turkish experience has not yet been discussed in detail in the available international literature on the subject. Alongside its geographical location between Asia and Europe laden with a wide spectrum of social values ranging from those with western to eastern origins, Turkey is regarded as one of the most socially and politically polarized countries in the world (Somer, 2019).…”

Pulling Together the Threads

“…This approach is multi-disciplinary and multi-sectoral and (re)constructs the social work role as that of a change agent working on micro, mezzo, and macro levels (Patel, 2015;. It underlines the interdependencies of the local and global economic, social, environmental, and political contexts (Bragin et al, 2016;Gray & Hetherington, 2013;Hong & Song, 2010;Ibrahim, 2017;Koenig et al, 2017). The various conceptualizations of alternatives communicate a range of priorities, although intersections are evident.…”