Where east meets west: Fieldwork instruction in Hong Kong and England

Western models of welfare services and professional training have exerted considerable influence worldwide. In countries such as Hong Kong, these forms have persisted despite arguments for indigenisation of practice and social work education. A comparative analysis of fieldwork instruction in Hong Kong and England nevertheless reveals some differences, which warrant further study as a means to improve field learning in both places. Fieldwork practice is recognised as a core element in social work education. This paper considers five aspects namely, organisational arrangements in placement provision; partnerships between academic institutions and welfare agencies; assessment principles; the roles of fieldwork instructors; and anti-discriminatory practice. While the influence of western norms and values on Hong Kong’s social work education generally should be subject to careful scrutiny, it is possible to derive valuable learning from cross-cultural analyses which should be the focus of further research.