Social work value system in mainland China: Construction of a scale and value commitment assessment

Abstract

This study aims to develop a scale for measuring professional social work values with particular relevance to the Chinese context. The Chinese social work values scale consists of five dimensions, including basic rights, social responsibility and justice, self-determination, mutual care, and potential for change. The findings of this study indicate that the Chinese social work value system has minor differences in specific constructs and in the ranking order of value dimensions from Western models. Empirical evidence further demonstrates that fair recognition is given to each dimension by Chinese social workers, though generally with less commitment to social work values.