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©Currents: New Scholarship in the Human Services, 2005

Spirituality and Hope in Social Work for Social Justice Mary Nash and Bruce Stewart

Abstract

Index

This paper is based on the idea that spirituality opens the door to integrity and genuineness in social workers' relationships and ways of working with people. Spirituality can be understood in a variety of ways, secular and religious. In both spheres, we consider that spiritual awareness strengthens the connections between social work and social justice, providing hope and a sustainable approach to work.

Authors Abstract

Introduction

Introduction

Often social work practitioners' stances are an unspoken, yet highly significant aspect of their work which can illuminate that work by placing it in a holistic and often spiritual context. In our view, spirituality opens the door to integrity and genuineness in our relations and ways of working with people. Spirituality can be understood in a variety of ways, secular and religious. Implicit in this paper is a belief that spiritual awareness strengthens the connections between social work and social justice, providing hope and a sustainable approach to work. We reflect on these connections between spirituality, social justice and social work, considering what difference spiritual awareness makes to the social worker for whom social justice is a core part of practice. Sermabekian describes spirituality as a human need:

Thinking about Spirituality Ecological Spiritual Perspectives Feminist Spiritual Perspectives Indigenous Worldviews Social Justice The Hikoi Tradition Conclusions References

It is too important to be misunderstood, avoided, or viewed as regressive, neurotic, or pathological in nature. Social workers must recognise that a person’s spiritual beliefs, values, perceptions, feelings, and ideals are intrinsically connected to religious, philosophical, cultural, ethnic, and life experiences. It is important that the practitioner acknowledge that spirituality in a person’s life can be a constructive way of facing life’s difficulties. (Sermabekian,1994, p. 181) Spirituality supports all aspects of human development and deepens the therapeutic effect of professional helping. The literature indicates that spirituality assists with issues in mental health, daily living, coping with uncertainty and developing and maintaining hopefulness. Spirituality’s capacity to transform, heal and integrate is in part explained by transpersonal theory. It suggests that personal development can go beyond fulfillment of ego-based identity needs and strengths. Individuals can experience states of consciousness where one’s intuition, creativity and sense of wholeness can be broadened to include a strong connection and unity with the outside world. Consciousness can be transformed to an awareness of oneness and inseparability with the material world. In Social Work practice these developments reduce separation and alienation thereby improving well-being that has been harmed by marginalisation and isolation (Nash & Stewart, 2002; Stewart, 1999).

Thinking about Spirituality

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There are many descriptions of spirituality as it is shaped by such factors as human experience, environmental awareness, feminism, culture, and religion. A person may have a relationship with a spiritual power that is of an earthly pervasive presence (immanence) or with a higher god like power (transcendence). These two notions of the divine are not necessarily exclusive. A variety of spiritual routes into social justice awareness can be discerned and the religious route is only one among several. Canda and Furman regard spirituality as distinct from religion:

[Spirituality is about] the human search for life meaning, morally fulfilling relationships, and the understanding of the reality that has the greatest significance to you. This may or may not involve belief in a God or supernatural aspect of the world. I am defining religion as an organized set of beliefs, values and practices, shared by a community that focuses on spirituality. Therefore, a person's spirituality may or may not be expressed through religion. So when I use the term spiritual, I include religious and non-religious possibilities. (Canda & Furman, 1999, p. 313) Canda and Furman argue that "spirituality is the heart of helping. It is the heart of empathy and care, the pulse of compassion, the vital flow of practice wisdom and the driving force of action for service" (1999, p. xv). This fluid description expresses a belief in the connections between spirituality and social justice and turns into O’Donohue’s reflection on the difference between the functionalist and the reverential mind. O’Donohue describes the latter as "respectful of the presence and difference of each person and thing" (O'Donohue, 1998, pp.108-109). He goes on to argue that "You cannot have a personal integrity of presence without recognising and revering the presence of others. There is some strange, hidden symmetry in the soul. When you diminish another person, you diminish yourself." He then links this sense of the sacred in "every presence" to our relationship with nature. "When we become blind to this, we violate nature and turn our beautiful world into a wasteland."

Ecological Spiritual Perspectives Many people with a secular stance experience their spirituality through ecological perspectives. Coates takes an ecological route arguing that "involvement in, and reflection on, activities to protect the environment can lead to a shift in world view. ...Such a shift can be fundamentally spiritual as it draws into question our relationship with nature, the role of humans on the planet, and what is of ultimate value" (Coates, 2004, p. 1) He links the recognition of environmental justice to social justice, the two being interdependent, sharing a common understanding of the dangers of materialism and the increasing commodification of so many of our transactions. What happened to the concept of "enough"?

Feminist Spiritual Perspectives Christ (1987) explores feminist spirituality in which people respect the natural rhythm of life, death and renewal, accepting their finitude and sharing a sense of immanent, as opposed to transcendent spirituality. Ecofeminism voices the spirituality of women who care for the earth, regarding it as sacred, who recognise the interconnectedness of all things, and the precious energy of Earth’s life force on which all creatures, human or otherwise, depend for their survival. It resists the capitalist urge to exploit Earth’s limited resources, promoting or protecting a subsistence, or survival, perspective in which women, in particular, fight to preserve their autonomy, their capacity for "self-provisioning and food self-sufficiency" and their dignity. (Mies, 1993, pp. 297302). Here the link between spirituality and social justice is made evident when Mies and Shiva (1993, p. 19) criticise what they call “luxury spirituality”, new age, or Eastern versions of spirituality explored by people with no interest in the material conditions of those who live in the world from which such spiritualities originate. For them, the splitting of the material and spiritual is problematic, and opens the way to exploitation and oppression. A transcendent God is out of this world, but in goddess and creation spirituality, God is immanent, in the world. In a sense, if one believes that God is in the world, then the world becomes divine and we need to be in balance with it, we need to care for it, rather than exploit it (Eastham, 1995).

Spirituality and Indigenous Worldviews

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If we move from ecological and ecofeminist spiritualities and explore indigenous spiritualities, of which there is such a rich diversity, the link between spirituality and social justice becomes still clearer. So too does the connection with social work and community development. In 1990, the Pan-Aboriginal spirituality conference was held in South Australia as a result of which we have a rare collection of conference papers and postconference works expressing Aboriginal spirituality and its challenge to white fella Christianity (Pattel-Gray, 1996). Pattel-Gray introduces Aboriginal spirituality by explaining that "We see land as an extension of our physical, spiritual and emotional form, and as the essence of our life-force, to the point that all of life and creation are revered and valued" (1996, p. xi). In his eloquent elaboration of these points Gilbert went further, arguing that "The point from the conference is that you can’t divorce yourself, your politics, your colour or human rights from Spirituality. Whites, too, are finding that they have lost spiritual contact with the earth. Through greed, selfishness and blindness these people – who think that worshipping that tree is some sort of animism, or totemism – are now destroying the earth; their own environment (Gilbert, 1996, p. 62). Other speakers at the conference continued in the same vein, challenging what they saw as domesticated, "happy" Christianity, contrasting it’s domesticated Jesus with the Creator God of the Dreamtime, a God who "is out there where the people struggle for dignity, freedom and liberation. The Creator God is out there struggling with them..." (Harris, 1996, p. 67) . Where land has been colonised, and the indigenous populations have succeeded in preserving their sense of identity, the intewoven themes of spirituality, relationship to the land, and respect for life have a central place in the call for social justice. Canada and New Zealand are two such examples, and both have developed their own social work responses to the negative effects resulting from colonisation, alienation from the land and loss of sovereignty. In Canada, Weaver’s research into how indigenous people define culturally competent social work encountered a consensus that "social workers must be grounded in their own cultures and spirituality" and she reported that "many respondents called for social justice, which includes decolonisation and an active acknowledgement of oppression and the unique status of Native Americans" (Weaver, 1999, p. 222). We agree that in the broadest sense for practitioners, knowledge of culture and culturally appropriate practice is essential because it touches on the core elements of a person’s beliefs, values and philosophy. The work of Wheeler (2002) and Beatch (2002), two senior mental health specialists in the Canadian Arctic, illustrates how practitioners can recognize and work with the understanding that spirituality is a significant part of cultural life. Over several years they have engaged in cultural-spiritual practises with community groups and individuals from isolated communities in the far North. These practises, which in many cases are endangered in Aboriginal communities, appear to heal, affirm and evoke the spirit of the Creator. Their involvement adds relief in these communities where there are often high rates of suffering due to depression, suicide, addiction and family violence. These practitioners participated in activities such as cleansing smudges, drum dancing, lodge sweats and land healing journeys involving respected elders. Their training in Western mental health practice also means they employ strategies drawn from solution focus, cognitive-behavioral, rational-emotive and 12 step therapies. They also easily adapt their knowledge of holistic healing with the Aboriginal medicine wheel, which is well recognised in these communities as a means of helping. Their commitment to these communities speaks to the power of spirituality within culture to re-activate the value of tradition and ritual. In New Zealand, one of the first criteria in defining competent social work is that it must be culturally competent. The key social work values of client self-determination and linking personal troubles to wider social, political, cultural and economic issues therefore have particular implications for social work in Aotearoa New Zealand. During the 1980s, in New Zealand, social workers were confronted by the Tangata Whenua (the people of the land, the Maori) who challenged them to examine their assumptions and practices for racism and cultural insensitivity. With difficulty but determination, the challenge was taken up with the result that social work education and practice is now explicitly concerned to recognise the injustices suffered by the indigenous people of the land, and recognise the obligation to work for social justice. The first three aims of the Association illustrate this point and are worth quoting here: 1. To promote an indigenous identity for social work in New Zealand and to assist people to obtain services adequate to their needs. 2. To ensure that social work in New Zealand is conducted in accordance with the articles contained in the Treaty of Waitangi. 3. To advocate for full social justice in New Zealand and address oppression on the grounds of race, gender, disability, sexual orientation, economic status and age. (Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers, 2001, 2005, see http://www.anzasw.org.nz/aims.htm)

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The constitution of the Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers (2001) acknowledges the importance of the Treaty of Waitangi for social workers and charges its members with practising in accordance with its principles. For social work, tino rangatiratanga may be interpreted as Maori self-determination relating to Maori well-being and this is based explicitly on a spiritual as well as practical relationship to the land and to the extended family, past, present and future. Sr. Tui Calligan noted that “The separation of the spiritual and secular in everyday life is the most significant effect of colonisation on Maori in general and on Maori women in particular" (2001, p. 7). Social workers, therefore, whatever their culture of origin, need to be informed about the spiritual dimensions of practice in relation to Maori clients, and indeed, for all clients. It is essential that they appreciate the way that the indigenous people of Aotearoa/New Zealand: Understand the physical realm as being immersed in and integrated with the spiritual realm. Every act, natural phenomena and other influences were considered to have both physical and spiritual implications. All these are associated with the belief that supernatural forces govern and influence the way people interact with each other and relate to the environment.....whakapapa (genealogy ties) connect the people with nga Atua, ... from the Atua came people. Spirituality is seen as a dimension internalised within a person from conception - the seed of life emanated from the supreme supernatural influence. Maori beliefs, values and traditions ensured that both realms are recognised, sustained and nurtured together in a holistic way. (Pere, 1982, pp. 1215)...Western concepts which distinguish between the sacred and the world of the profane and talk of dichotomies between human and natural do not fit easily into a Maori world view. (Henare 1988, p. 15)

In this passage, Henare touches upon several key dimensions of Maori spirituality and depicts the sacred territory of the spiritual dimension for his people. He mentions the importance of genealogical knowledge by which people can trace their connections to one another, and to their ancestors. There are similarities with other indigenous understandings of spirituality, the sacred and the profane and the difficulties involved where these encounter materialism. Social work with indigenous cultures needs to respect these spiritual dimensions.

Spirituality, Religion and Social Justice So far, we have looked at spirituality expressed through ecological, ecofeminist and cultural lenses. The traditional religions of the world have also developed spiritual wisdoms within which the imperative to act for social justice is intertwined. The theme of the Second Annual Canadian Conference on Spirituality and Social Work, 2003, was spiritual diversity and social justice. An interreligious panel consisting of members of different faith traditions (Muslim, Buddhist, Jewish, Christian and First Nations) "revealed the religious foundation of their commitment to social justice" (Baum, 2003, p. 1). From a Jewish perspective, Joel Marjonis explained that “Justice is both social and personal and there is a creative tension between them. The Jewish word for Justice is connected to both compassion and solidarity.” In one of the Buddhist traditions, Bethan Lloyd said that there is a belief that "until all beings are free, none of us are free." Speaking from one of the Islamic traditions, Alexandra Bain explained that "Justice is social as well as economic." Representing the Christian traditions, Elias Mutale quoted Micah’s prayer, that we should live justly, love tenderly and walk humbly with our God. Michelle Reid, speaking from a First Nations perspective explained that spirituality is the way of life for First Nations people, and that balance is an essential ingredient and social justice, for them is about restoring that balance so that their identity is respected and their land-base is secure. In reflecting on the panel, Baum observed that "the deepest and most authentic values of every religious tradition promote kindness, justice and peace" (Baum, 2003, p.1). O'Donohue (1998, p. 311) suggests that "The mind is the eye of the world. When the mind changes, the world is different." Similarly, one could say that when the heart changes, the world is different. Social workers need insight into their minds and hearts in order to be effective and they need to be able to change and adapt in the light of new, albeit sometimes challenging understandings. Spirituality is not separate from the material world and is not simply about personal relationships with a divine presence. It is an aspect embedded within community and our relationships to all things. We are not separate from our communities and the larger world, we are intricately interconnected to one another. Therefore what happens to us as individuals affects us all and vice versa. In matters of justice, spiritual health is pivotal to this and one’s personal spiritual health is not separate from community and global health. Striving for justice and spiritual health coincide with removal of obstacles for personal balance as well as removing obstacles such as poverty, oppression and environmental degradation in society. Consedine, taking a religious approach, has described justice as: "part of the very essence of God." Reflecting on the tradition of the Hebrew scriptures, he describes the justice of God as not being about rewarding the good and punishing the bad. Rather, God is discerned as "just when he intervenes in the lives of the underprivileged, especially orphans and widows, to save them from the injustices of men (Deuteronomy 10:18). God is just when he defends the cause of the innocent. God is just when he establishes those who have been exploited by wicked men. God is just when he saves the http://fsw.ucalgary.ca/currents_prod_v1/articles/nash_v4_n1.htm (4 of 10)2/7/2006 7:34:52 AM



poor" (Consedine, 2002a). Consedine argued that three central concepts of biblical law and justice, shalom, social justice and the covenant, provide insight into this idea of God’s justice. Shalom is a concept rich in meaning and relates to community rather than the individual physical well-being, right relationships and the acquisition of virtue. Social justice is about taking care of the poor, and redressing wrong done by dealing with whole communities rather than with individuals. For Old Testament Israel, the fullest response to crime was not the isolated punishment of an individual lawbreaker, but the repentance of an entire nation. Covenant, the third key concept in understanding God as just, refers to the agreement between God and the people, in which the dignity of all human beings within the context of their community is recognised. The test of justice, in the biblical view, is not whether the right rules are applied in the right way. It is tested by the outcome, by the fruits of the tree. Consedine (2002a) pointed out that the litmus test here is how the poor and oppressed are treated in society.

The Hikoi Tradition in New Zealand The connections between spirituality and social justice are close in indigenous spiritualities and where a spiritual relationship to the land is involved, as it is for Maori in New Zealand, the history of colonization provides a prime example of this link. The indigenous people of New Zealand feature negatively in the social statistics, for example prison occupancy, shorter life expectation, higher incidence of diabetes, heart problems, lower educational achievements, overcrowding and unemployment. In 1975, the Hikoi, or land march of Te Roopu o te Matakite (the people with foresight) publicized the effects on Maori communities of the loss of their land and the marchers, gathered by Whina Cooper and others, called for "Not one more acre of Maori land to be surrendered to the Pakeha" (Consedine and Consedine, 2001, p. 103). This land march politicized many Maori and began the conscientizing process for many Pakeha (Non-Maori).

Hikoi of Hope Banner, Palmerston North, 1998.

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The hikoi tradition of bringing injustices to the attention of the state was continued in 1998, with the Hikoi of Hope, which was initiated by the Anglican Church to demand a better and more just future for all New Zealanders. The Hikoi slogan was “Enough is enough! There has to be a better way” and it sought policy changes in five key areas: the creation of real jobs; a public health system which people can trust; benefit and wage levels which move people out of poverty; affordable housing and high-quality, publicly-funded education. It captured the imagination of social workers, as well as of other New Zealanders. Although called by a religious institution, the Hikoi put spirituality out there in the open, connecting it to social justice, hope, wellbeing and social work. The picture on the left shows a typical hikoi banner from one of the Christian Churches. The Church had stepped out into the political limelight and by doing so with a hikoi, it resonated both the biblical sense of restorative justice and the indigenous way of collective solidarity in which time is taken to allow for a sound process to effect change. In this way, the Hikoi brought religion, spirituality and social justice together for New Zealanders and it challenged the nation to look at divisions in society and acknowledge the effects of colonization. For many people (religious and secular) this was a meaningful and even inspiring occasion (though others were highly critical of church involvement with politics). It highlighted the links between justice, social work and people of spiritual understanding. It reminded people of earlier campaigns by Maori to protect their landrights, in particular, the Hikoi led by Dame Whina Cooper in 1975.

Dame Whina Cooper, NZ Herald (1975)

The photo above depicts Dame Whina Cooper and her grand daughter as they left Te Hapua at the start of the 1975 land march. The picture, now a New Zealand icon, shows her, already of a venerable age, leading the Hikoi to Parliament. She was a spiritually integrated woman, whose actions embody the concept of an integrated spirituality in the context of social action, transformation and compassion for human suffering.

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Dame Whina Cooper at home, Source: untraceable website

In the above photo, she is sitting in her home, with the spiritual imagery of another strong woman, the Mother of Christ, in the background. These two images, powerful enough each on their own, together provide a meditation on what it means for people to have spiritual beliefs which give them the strength to make powerful changes in their communities. Dame Whina Cooper was not interested in fame or fortune, but she was passionate about her people, the land and her faith. In the Canadian context, the significance of cross-cultural links between spiritual understanding and the social justice imperative is also evident Beatch (2001) and Stewart and Wheeler (2001). Both present the role of culture in shaping our understanding of health and meaning in life. In order to successfully work across cultures with Indigenous populations it is essential for respect of significant spiritual concepts and practices within the culture. Cultural awareness about the effect of colonisation, power differentials and loss is needed. It is in this regard that genuine respect, partnership and participation can be received as compassionate assistance and where the potential to heal is raised. Practitioners also need to be sensitive to the worldview of others so that all is not subsumed under culture. Given that spirituality is so significant when working across cultures it is beneficial for helpers to develop their own spiritual perspective and competence in dealing with the spiritual in others.

Conclusions In our introduction to this paper we suggested that spiritual awareness strengthens the connections between social work and social justice, providing hope and a sustainable approach to work. We have discussed a variety of ways of being spiritually aware, all of which provide an impetus for social justice and social change work. Social work is guided by principles of equity, self-determination and inclusiveness and as such is part of our efforts to create constructive change and empowerment. These principles resonate well with the goals of those seeking social justice and spiritual health for all. Social work principles provide an opportunity to use spirituality’s potential to transform and activate people’s lives in the pursuit of personal and social justice. Ghassan Hage argues that "societies are mechanisms for the distribution of hope" and draws on existential traditions and ethical reasoning about our mutual obligations towards one another as social beings to make his point. The more hope a society can distribute, the more caring and participatory will its members be towards one another and the nation. He defines "societal hope" as not necessarily being about the possibility of improving one’s finances, but about the possibilities that life offers in a much wider sense. He attributes the work of "breathing hope" into the marginalized, "the unemployed, the homeless and neglected," to the welfare state, in other words to social workers (Hage, 2003, p. 20). He, however, makes no claim that these workers are imbued with any sense of the spiritual.

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Consedine (2002b, p. 47) on the other hand, speculates on the connection between the spiritual vision and hope in sustaining social/community workers in their work. He notes the high rate of burnout among them and speculates on how it is that one observes some people who can keep going, seemingly endlessly. If social and community workers do provide hope to those people with whom they work, it may be that it has something to do with the possession of a spiritual vision which serves to energise and sustain them in their work. Spirituality has been an untapped resource in many areas of helping. Given its potential to heal and to influence relationships into caring and respectful connections, it is an area that is essential to humanity. Tolerance and encouragement of spiritual diversity is essential so that no single view is placed above others thereby reducing or excluding any. The capacity of spirituality to improve well-being suggests we can all benefit by encouraging others to clarify and develop their own spiritual paths and from them, to take and distribute hope.

References Aotearoa New Zealand Assocation of Social Workers (2001). The constitution of the Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers. Dunedin, New Zealand: ANZASW. Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers (2005) Aims of the Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers. Available: http://www.anzasw.org.nz/aims.htm Baum, G. (2003). Interreligious dialogue. Currents: New Scholarship in the Human Services [on-line], 2(2). Available: http://fsw.ucalgary.ca/currents/index.php Beatch, R., Stewart, B. (2002). Integrating Western and Aboriginal healing practices. In M. Nash & B. Stewart (Eds.). Spirituality and social care: Contributing to personal and community well-being (pp. 151170). London: Jessica Kingsley. Calligan, T. (2001, March 11). Report of Auckland conference of women scholars of religion and theology. New Zealand Catholic, p 7. Canda, E. and Furman, L. (1999). Spiritual diversity in social work practice: The heart of helping. New York: The Free Press. Christ, C. (1987). Laughter of Aphrodite. San Francisco, CA: Harper and Collins. Coates. J. (2004). From ecology to spirituality and social justice. Currents: New Scholarship in the Human Services [on-line], 3(1). Available: http://fsw.ucalgary.ca/currents/index.php Consedine, J. (2002a). Restorative justice. Unpublished manuscript. Consedine, J. (2002b). Spirituality and social justice. In M. Nash & B. Stewart (Eds.). Spirituality and social care: Contributing to personal and community well-being (pp. 31-48). London: Jessica Kingsley. Consedine, R. and Consedine, J. (2001). Healing our history. Auckland, New Zealand: Penguin. Eastham, M. (1995). Lecture Series, Pastoral Centre, Palmerston North, New Zealand. Gilbert, K. (1996). God at the campfire and that Christfella. In A. Pattel-Gray, (Ed). Aboriginal spirituality: Past, present and future (pp.54-65). Blackburn, Australia: Harper Collins Religious. Hage, G. (2003). Against paranoid nationalism: Searching for hope in a shrinking society. Annandale, Australia: Pluto Press Australia. Harris, C. (1996). Guidelines for so-called Western civilisation and Western Christianity. In A. Pattel-Gray, (Ed). Aboriginal spirituality: past, present and future (pp.66-78). Blackburn, Australia: Harper Collins Religious. Henare, M. (1988). Standards and foundations of Maori society. Report of the Royal Commission on Social http://fsw.ucalgary.ca/currents_prod_v1/articles/nash_v4_n1.htm (8 of 10)2/7/2006 7:34:52 AM



Policy. Vol III, Part One. Wellington, New Zealand: The Royal Commission on Social Policy. Mander, J. (1991). In the absence of the sacred. San Francisco, CA: Sierra Club. Mies, M. (1993). The need for a new vision: the subsistence perspective. In M. Mies & V. Shiva. Ecofeminism. London & New Jersey: Zed Books. Mies, M. and Shiva, V. (1993). Ecofeminism. London & New Jersey: Zed Books. O’Donohue, J. (1998). Eternal echoes: Exploring our hunger to belong. Auckland, New Zealand: Bantam. Pattel-Gray, A. (1996). Aboriginal Spirituality: Past, Present and Future. Blackburn, Australia: Harper Collins Religious. Pellebon, D. A. and Anderson, S. C. (1999). Understanding the life issues of spiritually-based clients. Families in Society: The Journal of Contemporary Human Services, 80 (3), 229-238 Sermabeikian, P. (1994). Our clients, ourselves: The spiritual perspective and social work practice. Social Work, 39 (2), 178-183. Stewart, B. (1999) Spirituality in counseling: Assisting counselors and the depressed. Unpublished Masters Thesis: Massey University, New Zealand. Stewart, B. & Nash, M. (2002). Introduction. In M. Nash & B. Stewart (Eds.). Spirituality and social care: Contributing to personal and community well-being (pp. 11-27). London: Jessica Kingsley. Stewart, B. & Wheeler, R. (2002). Talk Story. In M. Nash & B. Stewart (Eds.). Spirituality and social care: Contributing to personal and community well-being (pp. 171-188). London: Jessica Kingsley. Treaty of Waitangi (1840). Available: http://www.treatyofwaitangi.govt.nz/ Weaver, H. (1999). ndigenous people and the social work profession: Defining culturally competent services. Social Work, 44 (3), 217-225. Wheeler, R. (2001). Talk story. In M. Nash & B. Stewart (Eds), Spirituality and social care: Contributing to personal and community well-being (pp. 151-170). London: Jessica Kingsley.

Mary Nash is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Sociology, Social Policy and Social Work at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand. She is involved in the BSW and MSW and Diploma of Supervision programmes and supervises a number of post-graduate students. Her research interests lie in the history of social work education in Aotearoa New Zealand, spirirtuality and social work and social work with immigrants and refugees. Recent publications include Spirituality and social care: Contributing to personal and community well-being (2002) co-edited with Bruce Stewart and published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers, London; Social work theories in Action (2005) co-edited with Robyn Munford and Kieran O'Donoghue, also published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers, London. She can be contacted at: [email protected]. Bruce Stewart is employed as a Mental Health Therapist and in private practice. Through his work in Canada's Northwest Territories he developed a strong interest in spirituality within culture and working respectfully with First Nations People. He has worked collaboratively with Mary Nash in New Zealand and Canada, and together they have become increasingly committed to educating themselves and others about the significant role played by spirituality in supporting hope, courage, and activism.

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© Currents: New Scholarship in the Human Services ISSN 1499-6073 Faculty of Social Work, University of Calgary

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