PERCEPTIONS OF SOCIAL WORK STUDENTS REGARDING THE ASSET-BASED COMMUNITY-DRIVEN DEVELOPMENT (ABCD) APPROACH: A SOUTH AFRICAN STUDY

Abstract

Asset-based community-driven development (ABCD) has gained momentum in social work education over the last ten years. This mix-method study presents students’ perceptions of the relevance and application of ABCD in social work education at two universities in South Africa. The students perceived ABCD as a relevant approach that shifts community members from a deficit orientation focused on lack and needs to one in which people utilise their assets and take ownership of their own future. However, students experienced challenges in facilitating community members’ movement from being passive recipients of services and benefits to seeing themselves as change agents driving their own development. The results are intended to contribute to curricular and pedagogical improvements.