Draft Abstract/Rural SW Paper​ ​-03/27/2019

On the Adaptation of the North American Rural Social Work Education

Model for Philippine Praxis

P.C. Kutschera, PhD, Elena C. Tesoro, PhD, Benigno P. LeGamia Jr., PhD and Mary
Grace Talamera-Sandico, MSW

​ ​ABSTRACT

Rural social work practice and education in North America underwent a revival in recent
decades and remains a valid praxis model in the 21st Century. This paper posits there are
numerous elements central to the North American (U.S. and Canadian) and Commonwealth of
Nations (U.K., Australia, etc.) rural social work that make this framework germane to Filipinos.
These tenets include the necessity to function in an environment of limited or marginal
community and personnel resources, training and educational opportunities. The generalist
social work model is well established in Filipino and Western societies and complement each
other. Both frameworks require robust client and social justice advocacy roles encouraging
awareness of needs and aspirations of threatened populations. Indeed, social work researcher
Thelma Lee-Mendoza points out that historically modern Philippine practice is organized and
originates primarily from North American models. Rural social workers in the West, like their
Philippine counterparts, are more typically generalists and innovative environmental operators.
Daily they rely on a profound, intense survey and calculation of services and search creatively
to make them relevant. Mindful of research limitations protocol, authors remain intellectually
cognizant and guard vigilantly against imperialist and patriarchal impulses or interpretations in
preparation of this report.