The Hong Kong Journal of Social Work

This article reviews the political and ethical dimensions of technology applications in social work by focusing on a descriptive case study. The case study is of an initiative undertaken by the New Zealand government between 2011 and 2015 to develop an algorithm that would allow child protection services to predict future child maltreatment at the point of birth and to pre-empt it before it occurs. The paper explores the new threats to human rights and social justice associated with the rise of algorithmic governance and explores the sources of algorithmic injustice. It also outlines some of the key ethical issues and political challenges associated with algorithmic governance.

Social work research is an important part of social work practice. It adds to the knowledge base of the profession, facilitates understanding of the challenges facing society and encourages researchers to find solutions to these challenges. The focus of qualitative research in social work in India has likewise been generating and adding to the knowledge base of the profession. More specifically, qualitative methods of data collection have not been interrogated from the perspective of their potential to enhance competencies such as empathy and critical reflection amongst the students of social work. This paper examines the possibility of using observation, a method of data collection in qualitative research, to enhance empathy and critical reflection amongst students of social work. The paper is based on the outcomes of an assignment on observation given to second semester postgraduate students of social work in the Department of Social Work, University of Delhi, India. The assignment required the students to take on the role of marginalized members of society and use observation as a method in the field to record the responses of the generalized others towards them. The assignment also encouraged the students to reflect on their reactions and responses to the behavior of people towards them when they performed the specific roles. The outcome of the assignment points towards the possibility of using practical training in observation as a method of data collection in facilitating empathetic understanding and critical reflection amongst students, when used in conjunction with role-taking.

The Council on Social Work Education's (CSWE) instruction on diversity and social justice is central to the mission of social work education. The population of the United States has become more diverse and social work education has a pressing need to ensure students understand how diversity and social justice issues shape human experiences. Little research has systematically examined Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) programs in that regard. This paper examines correlations among demographic characteristics and program directors' impressions on teaching diversity and social justice in the United States' (BSW) programs. Using Qualtrics, a web-based survey tool, 36 program directors responded to a 47-item instrument composed of both closed and open-ended questions. Content analysis of the data was conducted with the assistance of Nvivo 12 to identify themes and nodes. However, due to inadequate information from the program directors, the open-ended questions were analyzed using thematic analysis. Emergent themes primarily pertained to implicit and explicit curricula. A central finding from the data was that there was variation in the way schools approached instruction regarding diversity and social justice assessment. The study raises questions for continued research and may have implications for the role of accrediting organizations in offering guidelines for diversity and social justice instruction and assessment.

本文主要探討殘疾人士與倡導工作的關係，指出若要打破主流社會對殘疾人士的負面定型及對殘疾的定義，社工要多反思傳統的個人或病態模式對殘疾的定義所帶來的問題。社工應要採用社會模式及社會建構殘疾的角度去看殘疾問題，將著重點由關心個人適應轉化為去改變環境，令殘疾不再被視為個人問題，反而是社會環境及社會政策出現的障礙所做成的問題。要移除和打破環境及社會政策的障礙，倡導工作是不可或缺及要積極推動的工作。要有效地協助殘疾人士推動倡導工作，社工要多採用「權利為本」及「強項為本」的工作模式。本文會重點討論倡導工作的意義和作用，以及提出倡導工作為殘疾人士帶來充權效果。

本文從自我決定理論 (Self Determination Theory) 的觀點出發，探討香港中學生的抱負取向（包括外在期望及內在期望）與職業生涯探索的關係。是次研究以問卷形式進行，從10間中學總共2,122名中一至中六的學生得到有效數據。結果顯示在控制了人口因素、成績及社會支持後，學生的抱負取向與職業生涯探索有顯著的關係。對比以上各項因素，發現學生的內在期望對職業生涯探索起較大的預測作用。最後，本文會探討結果在實踐及研究的應用。

Based on Self Determination Theory, this paper explores the relationship between different aspirations (intrinsic aspirations and extrinsic aspirations) and career exploration among Hong Kong secondary school students. The sample consisted of 2,122 secondary school students from 10 secondary schools. The results found that both intrinsic and extrinsic aspirations are significant predictors of career exploration after controlling for demographic, academic results and perceived social support variables. Among the predictors examined, intrinsic aspirations explained more variance of career exploration than others. Implications of the results for theory and practice were discussed.