Dr. Akin Taiwo

Associate Professor

Phone: 4356
Email: ataiwo3@uwo.ca

A former journalist and columnist with Sunday Times, Concord, and New Age newspapers in Nigeria, Akin was an activist within the African diaspora community in Windsor, Ontario, before moving to London. As an Associate Editor of the now defunct local magazine, Sankofa News, he challenged anti-Black racism, poverty, inequality, and other oppressions and injustices against vulnerable and marginalized populations.

As a registered social worker, Akin engaged in direct practice with individuals, families and groups in the community, and did some administrative work for the hospital. He was also an adjunct professor both at the University of Windsor, ON, and the University of Detroit Mercy, USA. More recently (2017-2019), he was the Academic Director of YouthREX (Youth Research & Evaluation Exchange) for the Windsor-Essex Community Hub.

Education

• University of Ibadan, Nigeria – B.A. (Combined Honours in Philosophy & Political Science), & M.Sc. (Political Science)

• University of Lagos, Nigeria -M.Phil. in Political Science

• University of Windsor, Ontario, Canada - MSW & PhD

Research

Political Social Work; Social Justice & Social Change; Globalization, Immigration & Diaspora Issues; Multicultural Practice with Diverse Populations; and Social Work Poetics.

Selected Publications

PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS

Taiwo, A., Cavell, M., Gagnon, K., Kashefi, S., Cook, J., & Csiernik, R. (2022). Creating a positive feedback loop: Supporting student mental health in Ontario’s Christian schools. Social Work & Christianity, 49(4), 349–370. https://doi.org/10.34043/swc.v49i4.292

Duhaney, P., Kusari, K., Morris, E., & Taiwo, A. (2022). Addressing Systemic Anti-Black Racism in Social Work- A Plan of Action. Journal of Teaching in Social Work, 42(2-3), 280-302. https://doi.org/10.1080/08841233.2022.2053925

Taiwo, A. (2022). Social workers’ use of critical reflection. Journal of Social Work, 22(2), 384-401 https://doi.org/10.1177/14680173211010239

Taiwo, A., Baird, S., & Sanders, J. (2021). Mutual aid on WhatsApp: Reflections on an online support group for new and pre-tenured faculty. Journal of Social Work with Groups,45(2), 145-156. doi:10.1080/01609513.2021.1990191

Taiwo, A. (2021). Poetic reflection on the crisis of representation in a social work research. Journal of Health Science & Education, 5(3) doi: 10.0000/JHSE.1000214

Fonseka, T., Taiwo, A., & Sethi, B. (2021). Use of arts-based research to uncover racism. Studies in Social Justice, 15(1), 43-58. https://doi.org/10.26522/ssj.v15i1.2234

Taiwo, A. (2020). The perplexities of a pandemic: A Black Canadian Scholar’s Perspective. Qualitative Social Work: Research and Practice, 20(1-2), 524-528. https://doi.org/10.1177/1473325020973294

Archer-Kuhn, B., Allen, D., Schweizer, L., Meghji, F., & Taiwo, A. (2019). The obscure nature of signature pedagogy in social work education: a Canadian perspective, Social Work Education, https://doi.org/10.1080/02615479.2019.1677587

Taiwo, A. (2018). Privilege as a Moving Target: Re-imagining Privilege for Social Work Practice. Critical Social Work, 19(2), 39-58.

Hurley, D. & Taiwo, A. (2018). Critical social work and competency practice: A proposal to bridge theory and practice in the classroom. Social Work Education: The International Journal, 1-14. doi: 10.1080/02615479.2018.1533544

Taiwo, A. (2014). A slice of diversity. Qualitative Inquiry, 20(8), 965-965. doi:10.1177/1077800413513735

Taiwo, A. (2013). Relational poetry in the expression of social identity: Creating interweaving dialogues. Qualitative Social Work, 12(2), 215-228 doi: 10.1177/1473325011425892

Taiwo, A. (2012). The postmodern therapeutic quagmire. Journal of Progressive Human Services, 23(2), 178-179 doi:10.1080/10428232.2012.668657

PUBLISHED BOOK CHAPTERS

Monari, E., & Taiwo, A. (2023).  The experience of addiction within the Black community: Treatments and responses. In R. Csiernik, W. Rowe, & G. Novotna (Eds). Responding to the oppression of addiction, fourth edition. (pp. 274-294). Canadian Scholars Press.

Olivier, C. & Taiwo, A. (2020). Preparing social workers for practice with diverse populations. In R. Csiernik & Susan Hillock (eds), Teaching Social Work: Reflections on pedagogy and practice. (pp. 138-151). University of Toronto Press.

CO-EDITED BOOK

Tieku, T., Coffie, A., Setrana, M. B., & Taiwo, A. (Eds.). (2021). The politics of peacebuilding in Africa. Routledge. ISBN 9781032034928

CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS

Taiwo, A. (2024). Uprooting discrimination, exclusion, and stigma in social work practice with Black service users adversely affected by addiction. Paper presented at the Canadian Association of Social Work Education (CASWE) at the University of Montreal, Canada. June 18^th, 2024.

Taiwo, A. (2024). Respecting the diversity of Black service users in social work response to addictions. The Joint World Conference on Social Work, Education and Social Development organized by The International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW), the International Association of Schools of Social Work (AIETS) and the International Council of Social Work (ICSW), Panama, April 4, 2024.

Monari, E., & Taiwo, A. (2023). Working with Black families and communities to respond to the issues of addiction. The Canadian Addiction Counsellors Certification Federation: Canada’s Addiction Workforce Regulator. Virtual Conference. September 16^th, 2023.

Taiwo, A. (2023). Strategies for anti-Black racism pedagogy in social work education. Paper presented at the Canadian Association of Social Work Education (CASWE) at York University, Toronto on June 2^nd, 2023.

Taiwo, A. (2022). Disrupting whiteness and expanding the base of social work education and practice. Paper presented at the Canadian Association of Social Work Education (CASWE). Online, October 29, 2022.

Monari, E., & Taiwo, A. (2021). The experience of addiction within the Black community: Treatments and Responses. 62^nd Annual Institute on Addiction Studies. The Canadian Addiction Counsellors Certification Federation: Canada’s Addiction Workforce Regulator. Virtual. July 9, 2021.

Baird, S., Sanders, J., & Taiwo, A. (2021). Mutual aid on WhatsApp: Creating an online support group for new and pre-tenured faculty. The International Association for Social Work with Groups (IASWG). Virtual. (June 9, 2021).

Taiwo, A. (2021). Radical hope, courage, uncertainty, and transformation during the Covid-19 pandemic. Global Partnership for Transformative Social Work gathering. Virtual Dialogue. February 18, 2021

Taiwo, A. (2019). Can social workers shatter the pyramid of privilege?: Going beyond the rhetoric of social justice. Paper presented at the Global Partnership for Transformative Social Work gathering, Sarum College, Salisbury, England. April 27, 2019.

Taiwo, A. (2018). When reflection is not a priority: Report from a phenomenological study. Paper presented at the Global Partnership for Transformative Social Work gathering, Bishop Booth Conference Centre, Burlington, Vermont, USA. October 13, 2018.

Taiwo, A. (2017). The crisis of representation in qualitative research: The case of a Latino male social worker. Paper presented at the Canadian Association of Social Work Education (CASWE). Ryerson University, May 30, 2017.

Taiwo, A. (2016). Reimagining privilege in social work practice. Paper presented at the Canadian Association of Social Work Education (CASWE). University of Calgary, Alberta, June 1, 2016.

Taiwo, A & Archer-Kuhn, B. (2015).  Checking ourselves at the door: Expanding ideas of bracketing in phenomenology. Paper presented at the Canadian Association of Social Work Education (CASWE). University of Ottawa, ON, June 2, 2015.

Taiwo, A. (2013). “I’ve earned this privilege by sweat”: A racialized male social worker explores professional privilege and its uses. Paper presented at the Pedagogy of Privilege, University of Denver, Colorado, U.S.A., August 5, 2013.

Taiwo, A. (2013). Teaching and learning statistics through poetry. Paper presented at the Canadian Association of Social Work Education (CASWE). Victoria, British Columbia, June 4, 2013.