PART I: FOUNDATIONS OF RURAL AND NORTHERN SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE

The first section of this textbook includes three distinct chapters, all of which focus on the importance of context in rural and northern social work practice. One of the important principles of anti-oppressive practice is reflexivity. Through a process of reflexivity, social workers consider the impact of their own values and cultural worldviews while recognizing and respecting the values, culture, and worldviews of the rural and northern communities within which they live and practice. This context informs and guides service and support delivery as well as program and policy development.

In the first chapter, the authors focus on defining the concepts of rural, remote, and northern, and discuss the importance of place-based social work. Chapter 2 builds further on the concept of place with a specific emphasis on anti-oppressive practice. Finally, in chapter 3, the authors weave together three first person narratives to demonstrate the role of social location and context in a very personal way.

While all social workers practice from a foundation of generalist social work skills and knowledge, practice in rural and remote settings – at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels – requires a keen awareness of context, social location, and the impacts of personal, cultural, and community history.