Understanding social justice in a changing sociopolitical context: The perspective of social workers in Hong Kong

Abstract

Amid recent political conflicts and the implementation of the national security law, Hong Kong society has undergone tremendous changes. Among other effects, the new law has spawned controversial social discourses, including about social workers’ responsibility to uphold human rights and promote social justice per the Hong Kong Social Workers Registration Board’s Code of Practice. This article, based on an analysis of interviews with six social workers in Hong Kong, examines how social workers understand social justice according to those discourses. The findings and this article’s discussion of them offer insights into social workers’ roles in an increasingly turbulent sociopolitical context.