Abstract: Submission #187

Abstract For decades, international social work scholars have highlighted the need to decolonise social work education and practice. The field remains heavily reliant on Eurocentric paradigms that do not reflect the complexity of local contexts or the diversity of service users’ experiences. A core element of decolonising education involves challenging singular worldviews and embracing diverse ways of knowing. Yet, while the literature advocating for decolonisation in social work education is extensive, practical models of interdisciplinary and decolonising education remain limited and are often shaped by disconnected learning approaches.

This research is a case study of Cátedra Kaapora, an educational initiative developed at the Federal University of São Paulo in Brazil. Created by a collective of academics from various disciplines, Cátedra Kaapora offers lectures, workshops, collaborative research, and artistic activities led by Indigenous, Afro-Brazilian, and other marginalised knowledge holders. The project places interdisciplinary learning and decolonising practice at the centre of its work and offers valuable insights for social work educators, practitioners, and institutions seeking to take action toward more inclusive and just education.

This study addresses both ethical and analytical challenges in social work education. It examines the experiences of those involved in shaping Cátedra Kaapora, exploring how disciplines collaborate, how power is negotiated, and how care and collective responsibility are sustained in decolonising work. These insights are relevant not only in Brazil but across global contexts where social work education is still shaped by dominant Western traditions.
As I argue in this research, engaging with decolonisation through an approach that values different ways of knowing is complex and sometimes messy. But this complexity must not lead to inaction. Small, intentional changes are better than no change at all. Cátedra Kaapora reminds us that meaningful transformation is possible, even when the path is difficult.