Development Of Social Work In China Research Articles

Evidence Based Social Science in China Paper 2: The History and Development of Evidence Based Social Work in China

ObjectivesTo present the history and potential for development of evidence-based (EB) social work in China. Study design and settingThe conception and methodology of EB social work is a potential strategy to support high quality development of social work in China. This article documents and analyzes the progress of EB social work in China. We focus on current research, reasons, challenges, and strategies. ResultsEB social work started late in China. The number of EB social work literature and systematic reviews has increased since 2004. The development of EB social work has been uneven nationally with few practitioners and decision makers involved. However, more and more social work researchers received training in evidence-based practice through national workshops and conferences. ConclusionEB social work faced various challenges, but there are now more opportunities for EB social work development in China. Researchers, practitioners, managers and decision makers are encouraged to work together to establish a thorough methodological system and use existing evidence as much as possible when carrying out social work programs and services.

Does macrosocial orientation matter in frontline social workers’ professional identity? Considering the critical factors of social work development in China

This study focused on the macrosocial orientation of frontline social workers to develop an integrated model for professional identity. We used a nationally representative sample of 3069 frontline social workers in China and conducted confirmatory factor analysis, structural equation modeling, bootstrapping mediation, and multiple-group moderation analyses. The results show that cynicism and job characteristics, as a causal chain, serially mediated the relationship between macrosocial orientation and professional identity, and those relationships varied depending on the following three factors: social work education, licensing, and workplace setting. The findings have theoretical and practical implications for how frontline social workers form professional identity.

Personal reflections on 30 years of social work development in China

ABSTRACT China has developed modern social work over the past 30 years, introducing new theories and models of good practice that have been drawn from diverse parts of globe. It has also made extensive contributions to disaster interventions based on its engagement in numerous calamities that have affected the population in China, including the devastating Wenchuan earthquake of 2008. More recently, its dynamic leaders have supported the development of social work in other Asian countries. I have been privileged to have developed a long-standing relationship with China, its culture and its history for many decades, even before I became a social worker. My social work colleagues have honoured me by strengthening this interest by providing many opportunities to walk alongside them. This article considers my personal reflections on a profession’s development through momentous world events, and China rightly deserves to celebrate its 30 years of growth and development.

The sub-structure and subjectivity construction of social work development in China

ABSTRACT Under the structural changes during the reform and opening-up, social work education has been re-established for 30-year in China with the efforts from different actors. It develops rapidly, and even the effects may be unbalanced. As the re-established subject and career, social work education and practice are sub-structures in nature. Their developments are affected strongly by the economic-social transformation and political system. The process is a sub-structural development. The re-establishment of social work is a process of multi-subjects construction: It is led by government policies while the government and academic groups collaborate for it. The groups of social work educators and practitioners facilitate the process. The overseas academic groups support and cooperate for it. These actors facilitate the development of social work education and profession. The social work develops the path with its characteristics. It is compatible with reform and development. The reflection on professional development is also be required.

Degree or examination: What is the foundation of the social work workforce in China?

The current Chinese social work licensure program does not mandatorily require formal social work education. This compromised policy is contradictory to the mission of formal social work education and the trajectory of professionalization in other Western countries. This study examined whether social work graduates differ from those who do not have formal social work education in terms of competency, commitment, and turnover intention. Results described the struggles of social work graduates in their experiences in the field. The diminishing role of formal social education may affect the professional identity of social workers in social work development in China.

Continuing Education for the Emerging Social Work Profession in China: The Experiment in Shenzhen

ABSTRACTIn-service training as a form of continuing professional education (CPE) is important for social work professionals to maintain their skills and enhance their knowledge for publicly accountable practice. These goals are concerns in Mainland China, which has experienced rapid development in social work since economic reforms started in the early 1980s. This article reports the findings of a qualitative study that explored the in-service training experience of 36 social workers in the major city of Shenzhen, an “important role model” for social work development in China. The findings reveal that participants expect in-service training to be practical and applicable, and their narrative accounts reveal first a disconnect between their needs and the in-service training provided, and second their quest for value-based training to sustain their commitment to the social work profession. To strengthen CPE for social workers in China, a more consultative, flexible, and customized approach, as well as an experiential learning model, are needed. In light of these findings, the authors discuss the role and functions of CPE in a China-specific context and reflect on how CPE can be better delivered to meet the needs of current social workers in China.

Driving ducks onto a perch: the experience of locally trained Shenzhen supervisor

The importance of supervision for social work practice has been recognized by the Shenzhen government, which has invested great effort into developing the mentorship model for supervisor training. This pioneering effort has resulted in the emergence of young local supervisors. This paper reports findings of a qualitative study which used in-depth interviews to explore the experience of 14 locally trained supervisors in Shenzhen. The findings reveal participants' pathways to becoming a supervisor, their perceptions about the role and functions of a supervisor, and their struggles in becoming a competent supervisor. These narrative accounts reveal the dominant theme of ‘driving ducks onto a perch’, a metaphor used by one of the participants. These supervisors regard the experience as being too rushed for them to be ready and putting them right on the spot. The findings reveal that policies and practices for nurturing local supervision in Shenzhen are too positive and ambitious. The implications of this study and suggestions for social work development in China are discussed.

A challenged professional identity: the struggles of new social workers in China

This paper reports the findings of a qualitative study of how 28 new social workers in China experienced challenges during the early formulation of their professional social work identity in the workplace. Through social work training at the school, they had been taught that some key social work values were core elements of their social work professional identity. These values have informed their daily practice. However, negative experiences in the emerging social work field in China have hampered not only the advancement of their long term commitment to social work, but also have constantly weakened their fragile professional identity. In light of these findings, the paper proposes that universities, social work organizations and governments should work together to promote a better environment for new social workers and to help them continue in the field. To obtain official support and public recognition towards social work, to delineate the role, responsibilities and authority of this profession in the social service system, the creation of a job induction plan and a professional supervision system are essential for future social work development in China.

Searching for Chinese characteristics: a tentative empirical examination

In the mid‐1980s, social work, which had been practised in China in the years before 1949, was reintroduced as a newly imported social discipline. Like many other imported social ideas and practices, such as the free market, it was not well‐adapted to the socialist ideology of China and, therefore, was required to exhibit ‘Chinese characteristics’, (a term proposed by Deng Xiaoping to justify the economic reform in the early 1980s). In this paper, we first examine the discourse relating to Chinese characteristics in selected social work literature published in China. Then we report the findings of a qualitative study of 32 social work graduating students to gain an empirical understanding of these students' perception of the Chinese characteristics of social work. The implications of social work development in China and international social work are also discussed. 在20世纪80年代中期，社会工作在中国再度恢复了在社会科学中的学科地位。正如许多其它外来的思想和实践方法，如自由市场等概念一样，都没有被调整以适应“中国特色”的社会主义意识形态（(此概念在20世纪80年代初由邓小平提出)。在本文中，作者首先根据一些在中国出版的中文文献，研究有关中国社会工作特色的论述。然后，作者通过对32名社会工作毕业生的定质研究去了解这些学生对中国社会工作特色的看法。本文也讨论了中国社会工作发展对国际社会工作的影响与含义。

Correcting misconceptions about the development of social work in China: a response to Hutchings and Taylor

Hutchings and Taylor, in their article entitled ‘Defining the profession? Exploring an international definition of social work in the China context’[International Journal of Social Welfare 16: 381–389], no doubt had good intentions in offering their account of the development of social work in China, as the opening and concluding sections of the article show. Within the text, however, their critique of contemporary social work in China is, in my opinion, unfair in relation to, among other things, (i) the undemocratic nature of the Chinese political system, which they say hinders the development of social work in China; (ii) the ideology of the Communist Party, the government, and traditional Chinese culture, which they say are at odds with Western social work's value system and methodology; thus concluding that (iii) it is doubtful whether social work development in China could integrate with that of the international community. In this response, I comment on (i) the information base of the authors; (ii) the disconnection between their conceptualisation and historical facts; and (iii) their use of the international definition of social work.

Chinese corpus, western application

Indigenization is a key issue in the development of professional social work in China. Chinese social work scholars have adopted the century-old conceptual formulation of ‘Chinese corpus, western application’ to balance the need for western knowledge and the need for intellectual autonomy. This article explores major current debates on ideology, teleology, epistemology and technology within the social work profession in the West and their implications for social work development in China.