Social policy training and social work : the South African context

This paper discusses the nature, context and evolution of social policy training in the South African context. It addresses the definition and scope of social policy, social policy and social work practice in South Africa and deals with social policy content in social work curricula in schools/departments in South African universities. The unique experiences of these departments/schools mirror the wider complexities of South African society, which is undergoing deep-seated changes and transformation in all spheres of life. The major antecedent to such change and transformation was the first democratic elections of 1994 that saw the demise of the former political system of apartheid.