TY - JOUR
T1 - From political to personal? Changing social work ideology and practice in Hong Kong
AU - Chiu, Sammy W.S.
AU - Wong, Victor C.W.
N1 - Copyright:
Copyright 2017 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 1998/7
Y1 - 1998/7
N2 - This paper examines the self-defined function, roles and tasks of social workers at a time of political transformation in Hong Kong, notably between 1986 and 1994. The discussions are based on the findings of two phases of empirical research conducted by the authors. It is argued that social work ideology and practice in Hong Kong have become more de-politicized on an already minimal political foundation. Social control and mediation have been defined as the most important functions of social work, while reformist social work has failed to gain an independent legitimacy in Hong Kong. The authors suggest that demarcation of the personal and the political aspects of social work, which has become more obvious in the 1990s, may become detrimental to the development of reform-oriented social work, and result in a loss of the "social" dimension of social work in Hong Kong.
AB - This paper examines the self-defined function, roles and tasks of social workers at a time of political transformation in Hong Kong, notably between 1986 and 1994. The discussions are based on the findings of two phases of empirical research conducted by the authors. It is argued that social work ideology and practice in Hong Kong have become more de-politicized on an already minimal political foundation. Social control and mediation have been defined as the most important functions of social work, while reformist social work has failed to gain an independent legitimacy in Hong Kong. The authors suggest that demarcation of the personal and the political aspects of social work, which has become more obvious in the 1990s, may become detrimental to the development of reform-oriented social work, and result in a loss of the "social" dimension of social work in Hong Kong.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0032368128&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/002087289804100302
DO - 10.1177/002087289804100302
M3 - Journal article
AN - SCOPUS:0032368128
SN - 0020-8728
VL - 41
SP - 277
EP - 291
JO - International Social Work
JF - International Social Work
IS - 3
ER -