Editorial

As the new Co-Editor-in-Chief of the China Journal of Social Work, I am pleased to work in partnership with Professor Wang Sibin of Peking University and the editorial team to continue the promotion of high quality, internationally recognised research that addresses a range of issues associated with social work inquiry, education, practice, and development in China. In March of this year, China’s Ministry of Civil Affairs stated its aim of training 1.45 million new social workers by 2020 (Wangshu 2016), a statement that contextualises and validates the importance of expanding social work practice in communities, in educational institutions, and in policy arenas. In this context, the five manuscripts published in this issue address two key themes: the practice of social work and social education, and macro social policy issues.

Despite the recent growth of the social work profession in China, there remains a critical need to identify specific intervention roles across different practice platforms and with different populations. Liang’s manuscript examines Moral and Character Education, a core secondary school subject in China intended to shape adolescents’ moral development, framing this subject as a potential platform for social work intervention. Moral education could serve as an emerging platform for collaboration between teachers, school counsellors, social workers, and policymakers. The author clearly articulates the importance of school social workers through their engagement with students, teachers, families, and community services. This reflects one of the many future directions for the social work profession in China.

Research on social work education serves to enhance professional practice by identifying and exploring different factors affecting both instructors and students. Wu and colleagues examine the construction and conditions of social work laboratories as crucial influences on social work teaching, learning, and outcomes. The authors present suggestions for social work laboratory spaces that meet basic teaching requirements, identifying standards for the size, equipment, technology, décor, safety facilities, and functional setup of group work, case work, family work, and observation laboratories and central control and administrative spaces. These standards would provide useful reference to many social work schools in China for the provision of effective professional social work education.

Cheung examines another dimension of social work education, focusing on practice doctoral social work education, which targets practitioners and encourages integration of practice, research, and education. The author has provided a crisp review of pragmatic challenges facing doctoral social work education, including limited direct career benefits, reluctance to engage in academic research and publication, and a view of doctoral education as a ‘last stop’ on the academic journey. Cheung emphasises the importance of focusing on encouraging academic research and publication through academic mentorship, teacher support and feedback from academic peers. Strengthening the relevance of practice doctoral education is linked to effective integration of social work learning, practice, and research.

On the policy side, while disparities between urban and rural areas in China have decreased in terms of income ratio measures, gaps have widened in terms of household disposable income. This is the key message conveyed by Tufte and colleagues who examined changing trends in living standards in China and their implications for social stability, in a context of significant economic growth. Issues of socioeconomic inequality in rapidly changing contexts are full of complexity, and the authors appeal for the importance of considering multiple dimensions of inequality when assessing living standards and developing responsive social policies.

In contexts of economic growth and development, and associated socioeconomic instability, social ‘safety nets’ aim to bring benefits to vulnerable populations. Wang and Bai examine China’s Minimum Livelihood Guarantee (MLG) programme, which aims to ensure minimum living standards for poor and vulnerable households. Due to significant regional variations identified in recipient numbers, local public and per-person expenditure, and standards relative to labour income, the authors call for responses to address regional disparities in social policy implementation, involving consideration of local government resources, clarifying responsibilities of central and local governments, and considering various dimensions of ‘generosity’ of benefits relative to poverty and income.

As clearly illustrated in the discussion of this issue of China Journal of Social Work, from interpersonal social work practice, to social work education and to policy change, social work and policy development in China continue to evolve at a pace that has never been seen before. We count on the continuous and collective efforts of social work professionals and scholars of all levels of practice to exchange and disseminate practice wisdom, knowledge and skills, research, and practice and policy innovations to elevate social work and policy development in China. The China Journal of Social Work is here to serve as such professional exchange platform.

Daniel W. L. Lai
Editor-in-Chief
Chair Professor of Social Work and Gerontology, Head, Department of Applied Social Sciences, Director, Institute of Active Ageing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

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