'Not-Knowing' and 'Assumption' in Canadian Social Services for Refugees and Immigrants: A Conversational Inquiry into Practitioner Stance

Abstract

This paper forms part of a shared inquiry into the suitability of a ‘not-knowing’ stance (Anderson, 1997; Anderson & Gehart, 2007; Anderson & Goolishian, 1992) for social service practitioners working with newcomers to Canada. Not-knowing can be described as a collaborative, dialogic way of being, a learner’s attitude, and an alternative to practitioner approaches characterized by expert-led, pre-figured treatment strategies. Featuring a spoken conversation between five persons, four of whom have refugee or immigrant status, this paper creates a visceral contrast between social service practices of not-knowing and practices of assumption; it explores a sample of published criticism against not-knowing and offers a respectful response; and, it connects not-knowing with life experience prior to arrival in Canada. Using storytelling, metaphor, and conversation, the text that follows sounds a passionate, multi-voiced, multi-cultural call for not-knowing in human service work with newcomers to Canada.

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