Community engagement within a social work programme in rural India

Abstract

Interweaving community engagement into education coheres with social work’s commitment to social justice. This paper focuses on a visit to an academic department in India. The visit focused on understanding the placement of students in a community context and its related projects. A qualitative design was used to conduct interviews and focus group discussions with academics, students and a community leader. Data were also gained through a field visit in the village. Valuable lessons emerged regarding the importance of community engagement in social work education and how social justice, advocacy and empowerment were interweaved into students’ learning experiences.

Keywords

• Community engagement in social work education
• Students’ learning experiences
• Social work’s commitment to social justice