The Development of an International Social Work Collaboration in Kenya: A Critical Analysis

Neil J. Vincent, Ph.D.
MSW Program
DePaul University

 Abstract

Globalization in the world necessitates that social work education in the U.S. integrate interdisciplinary international perspectives into curricula. This paper presents a case study of the development of an international collaboration between a university in Chicago and academic and community-based institutions in Nairobi, Kenya. Institutional support, relationship building, political and cultural contexts, resource inequities, reciprocity, historical and sociopolitical perspectives, and academic colonialism were identified as important contextual factors in the successful development of the collaboration. The paper uses a critical analysis paradigm to analyze the collaborative processes.

 About the Author

Neil J. Vincent, Ph.D. is an assistant professor at DePaul University's MSW Program. In addition to his interest in international social work education, Dr. Vincent conducts community-based research and program evaluation in the area of intimate partner violence. Additionally, he teaches research methods and a specialized graduate elective course on family violence.

Acknowledgement: The author would like to thank the administration, faculty, and staff of Tangaza College and Koinonia Community in Nairobi, Kenya for their contributions to this international partnership and for an immensely enriching collaboration, both personal and professional.