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

Western models of welfare services and professional training have exerted c onsiderable influence worldwide. In countries such as Hong Kong, these form s have persisted despite arguments for indigenisation of practice and socia l work education. A comparative analysis of fieldwork instruction in Hong K ong and England nevertheless reveals some differences, which warrant furthe r study as a means to improve field learning in both places. Fieldwork prac tice is recognised as a core element in social work education. This paper c onsiders five aspects namely, organisational arrangements in placement prov ision; partnerships between academic institutions and welfare agencies; ass essment principles; the rules of fieldwork instructors; and anti-discrimina tory practice. While the influence of western norms and values on Hung Kong 's social work education generally Should be subject to careful scrutiny, i t is possible to derive valuable learning from cross-cultural analyses whic h should be the focus of further research.