The Department of Social Work and Criminology has a diverse student population and students are exposed to equally diverse client groups for practice. Cultural sensitivity is of the utmost importance. The department confronts diversity issues hands-on and succeeds in teaching students sensitivity to diversity through specific learning outcomes. Cultural competence is achieved by creating opportunities for self-awareness by identifying perceptions, prejudices and family of origin beliefs; by conveying and gaining knowledge about other cultural and ethnical groups and by exposing students to culturally diverse client populations.
The workshop aimed to illustrate the methods and principles used in the theoretical and practical training for social work with groups. Presenters illustrated three of the group exercises used to reach the learning outcomes. Workshop attendees had the opportunity to not only learn about different South African cultural practices, but also had the opportunity to experientially be involved in the exercises that we use to create sensitivity to diversity in group work practice.

The workshop was terminated with the presenters singing Shozaloza. They received a standing ovation and feedback on the workshop described it as a “triumph in Chicago!”.



Heidi Coetzee, Mbali Magwaza, Louie Strydom, Jacqui Herron, Andrew  Spaumer Dr Reinette Prinsloo at the presentation