Social Work Development Trends in Hong Kong: Implications for Social Work Education

Abstract

This chapter examines the trends of social work development in Hong Kong and its implications to social work education. The tremendous changes of the political and social arena in Hong Kong had great influences to social work development trends during the past two decades. In facing the lack of long-term welfare planning, increase in public accountability, change of operation mode and governance of non-government organizations, development of social work has undergone various changes. The changes include (1) the rise of managerialism in social welfare settings; (2) the budding of short-term project-based service deliverables under an integrative service model; (3) growing diversity of practice approaches; (4) development of multi-level intervention models; (5) multidisciplinary collaboration; (6) changes of client-practitioner relationships; and (7) growing attention to evidence-based practice. The changes of social work development have insightful impacts on social work education, particularly on the theory-practice relationships, dual foci of social work mission, upholding professionalism of social work, and collaboration between academics and non-government organizations. The current social work development trends of Hong Kong in the past decades may give social workers, educators and scholars some insightful speculations on the future social work development in Hong Kong.