Knowing and understanding “The
Dreaming” in social work with Australian
Aboriginal people
Social Work Social Development: Action and impact
Stockholm, Sweden, 2012
Violet Bacon, Joanna Zubrzycki and Bindi Bennett
Source: www.aboriginalaustralia.com
MAP OF AUSTRALIA
What do we know? The experiences of
social workers working alongside
Aboriginal people
 How do Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal social workers work
with Indigenous people and communities?
 What do both groups of workers recognise as being
culturally sensitive and appropriate social work practice?
Our interviews also included:
 introductions of self and community, years of practice
experience, description of practice with Aboriginal people
and communities, personal responses to practice, knowledge
useful forpractive
The Dreaming
Relationships are the core component
of culturally respectful practice
“If you want to be a white fella working in this field, you don’t build
relationships with people just because it’s the nice thing to do, it’s actually the
only way to operate”( non-Aboriginal social worker).
“The biggest one is getting a relationship and with most families that could
take anywhere between 6-12 months” ( Aboriginal social worker).
“It is only once you have formed these relationships that Aboriginal people
will allow you to do your job”. (non-Aboriginal social worker).
KNOWLEDGE OF:
JOURNEY OF SELF
Western & Indigenous worldviews
Community, history of community
History of social work with Indigenous
people
Colonization
Connection to country
Indigenous spirituality
Oral education/stories
Aboriginal English/languages
Social justice
Human rights
Cultural safety
Critical awareness of:
Family
Biography
Identities
Roles
Personal values
Motivation to work with
Indigenous people
CULTURALLY
RESPECTFUL
RELATIONSHIPS
&
CULTURAL
COURAGE
VALUES
Reciprocity
Respect
Trust
Humility
Genuineness
Authenticity
Client and community as
knowing
SKILLS
Silence
Deep listening
Stillness
Empathy
Observation
Self-disclosure
Language and
communication
Reference and contact details
Bennett, B., Zubrzycki, J., Bacon, V.(2011) What do we know? The experiences of
social workers working alongside Aboriginal People. Australian social work, vol. 64,
no.1, pp.20-37
Violet Bacon
Honorary research fellow
School of Population Health (Social Work and Social Policy)
University of Western Australia
Violet.Bacon@uwa.edu.au
Joanna Zubrzycki
Associate Professor
School of Social Work, Australian Catholic University
Joanna.Zubrzycki@acu.edu.au