Abstract
Recently, social workers in Japan are increasingly required to transition to a worker-client relationship based on the client's culture while promoting diversity as a prerequisite. In this paper, I conduct a literature review of previous studies in social work that supplement cultural competence with a postcolonial perspective. Research that addresses the concept of cultural competence in social work while discussing it from a postcolonial perspective is now certainly recognized. Four perspectives were identified:
(1) Positioning the "other" as distinct from "ourselves" concerning client culture.
(2) The structure of social oppression: the prevalence of understanding other cultures and the lack of deep awareness of the oppressive structures within mainstream culture.
(3) Questioning the universality of social work.
(4) The blending of cultures and the potential for change.
Based on these insights, a reconstruction of the theory of cultural competence will be necessary.
