Abstract: Submission #72

Abstract In an increasingly diverse and interconnected world, social work education must critically engage with how culture is understood and taught. This paper reflects on the redesign of the "Cultural Complexities" course in an undergraduate social work programme at a South African university, aiming to align it more closely with principles of decoloniality, intersectionality, and social justice. The redesigned course sought to equip students with theoretical knowledge, practical skills, and a positive attitude towards cultural competence and humility by emphasising lived experiences, power dynamics, and evolving cultural norms within the South African context. Using a mixed method research approach and educational design research, data was collected from 13 fourth-year social work students through an open-ended questionnaire, supplemented by the lecturer’s reflections of the redesign process. Thematic and descriptive data analysis were utilised to analyse data collected from the questionnaire and educator reflections. The findings revealed challenges such as balancing theoretical frameworks with students' real-world experiences, navigating the emotional labour of addressing privilege and bias in the classroom, and the urgent need for innovative pedagogies that foster critical consciousness. The findings also highlighted the value of co-learning spaces, where students and educators engage in mutual dialogue around complex cultural issues. By "rewriting the script," the course challenged dominant Western frameworks that have historically shaped cultural discourse in social work education and instead centered African philosophies and indigenous knowledge systems of culture. The paper argues that such curricular transformation is not only necessary but urgent in preparing social work graduates to work ethically and effectively in diverse and complex societies. Ultimately, the study adds to the wider conversation on decolonising social work education and provides practical guidance for educators aiming to integrate cultural humility, critical reflexivity, and transformative learning into their teaching, equipping social work graduates with cultural competence.