Spirituality in social work in South Africa : insights from a survey with academics

Abstract

Historically, spirituality has shared a tenuous position with social work. Scholarship underpinning its relevance to client well-being and anti-oppressive practice has proliferated, entrenching its niche in education. In South Africa, very little empirical work exists except for a survey with final year social work students. This article presents findings made with a national survey of academics: 66 educators from 16 universities participated indicating positive views on spirituality in education and practice in South Africa.