Profile - Professor Antoinette Lombard
Professor Antoinette Lombard
Professor in Social Work and Head
Department of Social Work and Criminology
University of Pretoria
South Africa
Ph: +27 12 420 2325
Email: Antoinette.Lombard@up.ac.za
Profile:
Antoinette’s research over the past fifteen years was closely linked to the transformation of the South African society after becoming a democracy in 1994. It was a time in the history of the country where all sectors had to join efforts to redress the injustices of the past and transform society to be inclusive of all its citizens. In both her involvement in professional and research activities, she played an active role in the transformation of the social welfare sector to become more accessible and inclusive.
Her research focus was aligned with the drafting of the White Paper for Social Welfare which was adopted in 1997 as South Africa’s social welfare policy. The restructuring and transformation of the South African society would bring many challenges to the social welfare sector and subsequently to the social work profession, not only with regard to transforming the sector, but also positioning itself as a role player and partner in social development and the re-structuring of society. In 1996, when she commenced research on the developmental approach to social welfare, very little had been published on the topic in South Africa. Her research, during the following ten years, was hence focused on and made a contribution to the conceptualizing, contextualizing and operationalisation of developmental social welfare, developmental social work and social development in various practice and policy contexts.
She researched the role of social welfare and its transformation within the broader transformation agenda for South Africa. She published on the injustices of the past and the obligation of the social welfare sector to make a submission to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission based on its core values of social justice and human rights. She was also involved in the drafting of the social welfare sector’s submission to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
Antoinette engaged in research and scholarly debates on the developmental approach in various micro and macro practice contexts, including statutory social services, community development and social development. She took a particular interest in researching social work’s role in social and economic development in order to impact on poverty and inequality. A national study on the social welfare sector’s progress with regard to contributing to human, social and economic development and the promotion of human rights, created a baseline for further research by South African scholars on indicators for developmental social welfare.
Antoinette has been teaching social work since 1988 in the fields of community work, community development, social development and social policy. Over the past fifteen years she played an instrumental role in shaping social work education in South Africa in her capacity as chair, respectively of the Education and Development Committee of the Professional Board of Social Work, the Continuous Professional Development Task Team; the Standard Generating Body for Social Work and the Quality Assurance Task Team of the Bachelor of Social Work qualification. As a result of her professional involvement in this capacity, she expanded her research to social work training. She has published on the standards of social work education in South Africa and engaged in national research on continuous professional development (CPD). Her research on developmental social welfare and social development culminated in a master’s programme in Social Development and Policy in 2002, which created further opportunities for expanding research in areas of inequality and social inclusion.
Research interest:
Antoinette’s current research interest lies in development strategies that facilitate the social inclusion and integration of social and economic development within a broader socio-economic and political context. She has a particular interest in the well-being and social inclusion of women and social entrepreneurship. In order to ensure inclusive development and equity, the fundamental role that women play in economic and social development and the impact of the social economy in addressing poverty and inequalities, must be acknowledged in search for a more inclusive macroeconomic policy. She has embarked on research in this regard in collaboration with the Women Development Bank in South Africa, with a special focus on the role of micro-financing in shaping the social economy and women’s inclusion in the macroeconomic policy. She firmly believes that the social work profession has a role to play in promoting the well-being and social inclusion of vulnerable people by engaging them in development strategies that will promote self-reliance and human dignity in a caring society.
Selective publications:
Lombard A. 2008. The impact of social transformation on the non-government welfare sector and the social work profession. International Journal of Social Welfare, 17(2):124-131.
Lombard A. 2008. Social change through integrated social and economic development in South Africa: A social welfare perspective. Journal of Comparative Social Welfare, 24(1):23-32.
Lombard A. 2008.Social Work: A social partner in economic development. Social Work/Maatskaplike Werk, 44(2):121-142.
Lombard A. 2008. The implementation of the White Paper for Social Welfare: A ten-year review. The Social Work Practitioner-Researcher/Die Maatskaplikewerk Navorser-Praktisyn, 20(2):154-173.
Gray M; Lombard A. 2008. The post-1994 transformation of social work in South Africa. International Journal of Social Welfare, 17(2):132-145.
Lombard A. 2007. The impact of social welfare policies on social development in South Africa: An NGO perspective. Social Work/Maatskaplike Werk, 43(4):295-316.
Landman L & Lombard A. 2006. Integration of community development and statutory social work services within the developmental approach. Social Work/Maatskaplike Werk, 42(1):1-15.
Lombard A; Kleijn WC. 2006. Statutory social services: An integrated part of developmental social welfare service delivery. Social Work/Maatskaplike Werk, 42(3/4):295-316.
Lombard A. 2005. Impact of social services on human, social and economic development and the promotion of human rights in South Africa. Social Work/Maatskaplike Werk, 41(2):209-228.
Sewpaul V; Lombard A. 2004. Social work education, training and standards in Africa. Journal of Social Work Education, 23(5):537-554.
Lombard A; Grobbelaar M; Pruis S. 2003. Standards for Social Work Qualifications in South Africa. Social Work/Maatskaplike Werk, 39(1). March:1-17. (DoE)
Lombard, A. 2003. Entrepreneurship in Africa: Social Work challenges for human, social and economic development. Social Work/Maatskaplike Werk, 39(3). August: 224-239.
Lombard, A. 2001. Social Work Education: Quality assurance through continuous assessment. Social Work Practitioner Researcher/Maatskaplikewerk Navorser-Praktisyn, 13(3), December:1-23.
Lombard, A. 2000. Enhancing a human rights culture through social work practice and training. Social Work/Maatskaplike Werk, 36(2). June:121-140.
Sewpaul, V., Lombard, A., Louw, L. & Noyoo, N. 1999. Social Policy Training and Social Work. Journal of Social Development in Africa, (Zimbabwe) 14(1):5-18.
Lombard, A. 1999. Transforming social work education in South Africa: A contextual and empowerment issue. Social Work/ Maatskaplike Werk, 35(2). June:97-112.
Lombard, A. 1996. Developmental social welfare in South Africa: A theoretical framework. Social Work/Maatskaplike Werk, 32(2):162-172.
Lombard, A. in collaboration with Weyers, M.L. & Schoeman, J.H. 1991. Community work and community development: Perspectives on social development. Pretoria: HAUM-Tertiary. 342 pages. (Published in Afrikaans and English.)