Critical pedagogy and a rural social work practicum in China

In the midst of the financial and social transformations of the past 20 years, China has made significant economic progress in terms of its gross domestic product (GDP) and its GDP growth rate. However, its impressive economic performance has been accompanied by an increase in the magnitude of social problems. The introduction of a market economy has led to greater rural poverty, unemployment, family breakdowns, youth delinquency, street children, HIV/AIDS, prostitution, disabilities, mental illness, corruption, ethnic tensions, environmental pollution, and other deleterious effects. These problems have received attention from government ministries and recently established nongovernmental organizations (NGOs); however, the magnitude of the problems is so overwhelming that many issues have been left unattended and unresolved.