Social work as a professional project in Fiji

Abstract As social work professionalization grows in the Asia-Pacific, there is increasing recognition of the need for culturally relevant education, yet many Pacific nations lack formal definitions or recognition of social work training. In Fiji, international influences dominate definitions and ethics, creating tensions between Western frameworks and Pacific practices, which reflect deeper struggles between cultural identity and global professional discourse shaped by colonization and globalization. Using talanoa, a Pacific research methodology, and underpinned by decolonial thought, this article explores the experiences of sixty-one social workers from across Fiji and documents these tensions. It highlights the realities for many post-colonial contexts who are forced to walk within the realms of British Imperialist legacies and at times, incongruent cultural epistemologies. It warns of neocolonial risks inherent within professionalism agendas and questions whether social work benefits from efforts to organize as a homogenous, ethically unified profession.