The National Association of Black Social Workers Completes 40 International Education Conferences: An Examination of Conferee Perspectives of Nabsw's Mission and Code of Ethics

Background

The National Association of Black Social Workers, Inc. held the first annual International Education Conference (IEC) in Bahamas in 1975.  Since that time, IECs have been held throughout the continent of Africa, Europe, North, Central and South America and the Caribbean. 2017 commemorates forty (40) conferences which have operationalized and actualized NABSW’s mission of enhancing the quality of life and empowering people of African Ancestry through advocacy, human services delivery and research http://nabsw.org/?page=MissionStatement. 

The theoretical framework integrates Afrocentric ideology - the seven principles of Nguzu Saba and the seven principles of Ma’at where critical race theory is front and center.  A phenomenological approach is matched with Afrocentric ideology as each traveler experiences each conference significantly and uniquely different from everyone else with respect to time, place and space. 

A mixed method approach sought to uncover how NABSW implements its mission and the ways in which the mission is actualized, from a conferee centric perspective.  The poster will employ photovoice where pictures, stories and mementos will be shared with conferees invoking a sense of shared experience.    

Methods

1. A 40-item quantitative and qualitative survey was administered via the NABSW membership list serv.  Members were able to complete a Word version of the survey or could opt to complete it online in Qualtrics.
2. Purposive sampling made it necessary to send the survey to previous IEC conferees, who may not have been members, but may have traveled with NABSW.  They completed a Word version of the survey or could opt to complete it online in Qualtrics.
3. Three complementary focus groups were scheduled and completed.  Two focus groups targeted conferees.  One of the groups targeted previous conference coordinators. 
4. SPSS was used to analyze quantitative data. 
5. Nvivo or Dedoose was used to analyze qualitative data.

Results

Several papers will be submitted as a result of this research project.  However, the focus of this research poster will be qualitative aspects of conferee responses.  An abbreviated analysis is below.

1. Three themes surfaced related to conferee motivations to participate in NABSW’s international education conferences: 1) desire to travel to Africa/African Diaspora as their first conference experience; 2) desire to travel with NABSW because of its focus on the African experience and 3) desire to travel with NABSW because of its professional reputation.
2. Conferees gave several examples of ways in which NABSW integrates Afrocentric ideology and principles into its international education conferences, including but not limited to a focus on African history in the locale, reiteration of harmony and justice in workshop presentations and rolling workshops and the Black Family ritual focuses on African (American) food and customs.

Implications

Social work educators will learn how operationalization of Afrocentric theories translate into applied practice in global arenas.  They may be motivated, as a result of listening to the stories, seeing the photos and handling mementos, to implement global perspectives of justice and advocacy in their curricula.