Deconstructing racialised and cultural otherisation with young people through pluralistic arts-based social work

In the Nordic context, young asylum seekers of colour are often presented as potential societal threats through racialised risk-based discourses, which contrasts with the anti-racist principles of social work. Nevertheless, social work has shortcomings in effectively addressing cultural and racial otherisation. This results in contributing to and maintaining White normativity as well as Eurocentric and colonial epistemologies in professional settings. This chapter discusses arts-based social work research with young people from asylum-seeking backgrounds. It combines theoretical perspectives from critical Whiteness studies, decolonial and Indigenous paradigms. The findings suggest arts-based entry points that integrate social and environmental aspects and centralise the knowledge, creativity, capabilities, and agency of youths. Ultimately, the chapter discusses ways to strengthen an anti-racist stance and advance epistemological pluralism in social work.