AWAKENING TO THE TRANSPERSONAL PARADIGM: DISCERNING TRANSCENDENT EXPERIENCES FROM PATHOLOGY

Historically social work has shared a tenuous relationship with religion and spirituality. In aneffort to hold onto its scientific roots, which began with the quest for professionalisation, itbecame suspicious of knowledge and experience that could not be fully quantified or rationallyderived. It began to “distrust the language of higher transcendence, mystical connection, intuitivegrasp” (Besthorn, 2001:38). More recently, however, the profession has become more acceptingof spirituality, in the light of evidence that spiritual growth and experiences foster physical andpsychological well-being (Pargament, 1997). Parallel to the acceptance of the spiritual paradigmis the growing interest in transpersonal social work, which focuses on empowering the client aswell as on spiritual experiences, personal transformation and health (Canda & Furman, 1999;Cowley, 2001; Cowley & Derezotes, 1994)

CONTENT AREAS FOR CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT: SPIRITUALITY AND SOCIAL WORK

Calls for the integration of spirituality into social work curricula emerged in the Westernliterature on the issue over two decades ago (Canda, 1989). Empirical enquiries in theAmerican and British contexts proliferated, revealing a conspicuous void in spiritualityeducation (Furman, Benson, Canda & Grimwood, 2005; Gilligan & Furness, 2006; Graff,2007). They also showed strong support for the introduction of a course on spirituality andsocial work, thus leading many schools of social work to begin offering it as an elective in theUnited States (Bhagwan, 2002). In contrast, the schism between spirituality and social work inpractice, education and research has been pronounced in South Africa

Towards a conceptual understanding of community engagement in higher education in South Africa

As attention to community engagement grows, it is critical that academics, students and community collaborators understand how it is conceptualised. This paper presents findings from a qualitative inquiry with academics and community engagement administrators nationally with regard to how they conceptualise community engagement. Six universities were included in the sample that was selected purposefully from the South African Higher Education Community Engagement Forum (SAHECEF) list. Four major themes emerged from the data and focussed on context, process, mutual beneficial relationship and knowledge production. The data reflected a diverse array of conceptualisations on a continuum that ranged from the university-community dyad to that of the co-production of knowledge

THE INTERCONNECTEDNESS OF SPIRITUALITY AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT: THEMES FOR EDUCATION

Spirituality, social development and social work are not antithetical to each other. Theprofession’s earliest roots lie in the rich Judeo-Christian heritage (Leiby, 1985; Siporin, 1986).The Christian biblical command to love one’s neighbour was translated into a sense of moralresponsibility for social service and inspired the development of philanthropy and charityorganisations during the 19th century (Elliott, 1993; Furman, 1994). It was through the vehiclesof religious organisations that social helpers sought to establish orphanages, hospitals andschools, the values of the temple and church remaining dominant influences throughout theearly years (Holland, 1989)

SOCIAL WORK AT THE INTERFACE OF COVID-19: AN EXPLORATORY STUDY AT A UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY

The aim of the study was to explore the roles of social workers at a university of technology in KwaZulu-Natal during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions, the study confirms the pivotal role of social workers in dealing with the psychological distress caused by illness, the loss of loved ones, economic insecurity and violence. While participants expressed a lack of preparedness for the significant mental health burden caused by the pandemic, existing expertise allowed them to offer counselling and support to offset the isolation and anxiety that many students were facing. Participants also noted the importance of social work involvement in educational initiatives

Reversible syndrome of extrapyramidal movement disorders with bilateral basal ganglia lesions in uremia: a case series and review of the literature

Background: The distinct clinicoradiological syndrome of reversible basal ganglia lesions associated with extrapyramidal movement disorders in uremic patients has rarely been described in the literature. There have been no reported cases from Africa.Methods: This study is a retrospective analysis of uremic patients presenting with extrapyramidal movement disorders in Durban, South Africa from 2003 to 2016. A review of all published studies was also undertaken.Results: Seven patients who presented with this syndrome were identified. An additional 41 cases were reported in the literature. Our seven cases showed similar characteristics to those previously reported. All patients were of Asian ethnicity and had dialysis dependent renal failure, 86% (6/7) due to diabetic nephropathy. The most frequent presentation was parkinsonism (5/7) followed by chorea (1/7) and dystonia (1/7). Typical neuroimaging findings included bilateral symmetrical basal ganglia abnormalities that were hypodense on computed tomography scan, and T1 hypointense and T2 hyperintense on magnetic resonance imaging. A key feature of this syndrome is its reversibility with supportive treatment; Clinical improvement was observed in 86% (6/7), which was accompanied by radiological regression of lesions in two patients who underwent follow-up imaging.Conclusions: The syndrome of acute extrapyramidal movement disorders in uremic patients with bilateral basal ganglia lesions presents with typical clinical and radiological findings. Awareness of this syndrome especially in Asian diabetic patients with renal failure is important for early recognition and appropriate supportive management to aid its resolution.Keywords: Basal ganglia, diabetic nephropathy, extrapyramidal, magnetic resonance imaging, renal failur

SPIRITUALITY IN PEDAGOGY: A QUALITATIVE STUDY WITH EDUCATORS

The global momentum surrounding spirituality has increased in the West. An empirical base has evolved over the past two decades which supports the inclusion of spirituality in education. Research with students, practitioners and educators reflects a historically dominant silence in the field, which catalysed arguments for its inclusion in America curricula. Despite these emerging pathways, spirituality has remained distant from social work in South Africa (Bhagwan, 2002)

Women’s media: Challenging the status quo

While there is a need to challenge mainstream media to improve their portrayal of women in contemporary Pacific society, there is also a need to counter factors affecting and inhibiting women’s engagement with that media. This not only requires the incorporation of gender equality policies in mainstream media policy but by ensuring that women are able to develop, produce and distribute alternative information and communications. For such advocacy to be successful, this commentary argues for capacity building and training for young women and rural women to make the connection with policy makers through their local programme productions so they can challenge personal, institutional and systematic barriers to their development and empowerment