INNOVATIVE FIELDWORK PRACTICUM IN AFRICAN SOCIAL WORK TRAINING: LESSONS FROM RURAL CAMP INITIATIVE IN INDIA

Sanjoy, R. (2021) Rural camp in social work practicum: A lively pedagogy of learning. African Journal of Social Work, 11(1), 12-22

In social work, learning comes from varied pedagogical dimensions of activities and interventions. These include observation and analysis of field work settings with social realities and participation in designing and providing social work intervention through social work methods, principles, skills, techniques, theories of social work and other social sciences & behavioral sciences or social system to achieve the variant tasks and goals. Rural camp is one of the important pedagogical dimensions or components in field work which provides opportunities to experience the rurality i.e. rural life, socio-eco-politico-cultural life, analyze rural dynamics, and observe the functioning of local self-government (Panchayat) and its power dynamics. Rural camp involves students in participation in planning and designing action activities for themselves and those for rural people and also helps in developing practical skills to carry out interventions, evaluate, and finally document the rare handy experience.

You can read more about this report by Associate Professor Roy Sanjoy from the Department of Social Work, University of Delhi here.