The social construction of creativity among outreaching social workers in Hong Kong
by Cheng Lai Ling
THESIS
1995
M.Phil. Social Science
vi, 64 leaves ; 30 cm
Abstract
This study aims to explore the "wicked" problems in outreaching social work and arrive at an understanding of creativity as it is constructed within the social work profession : i.e. in what kinds of situations and in what ways do outreaching social workers talk about "creativity" ? And what kinds of social functions does creativity serve for individual outreaching social workers and the social work profession as a whole? The social constructionist approach together with qualitative methodology (i.e., in-depth interviews) were used in this study, in which twelve experienced outreaching social workers of three outreaching teams of a Hong Kong social work agency were interviewed. This study describes the process through which creativity was constructed as a rhetoric in the social work pro...[ Read more ]
This study aims to explore the "wicked" problems in outreaching social work and arrive at an understanding of creativity as it is constructed within the social work profession : i.e. in what kinds of situations and in what ways do outreaching social workers talk about "creativity" ? And what kinds of social functions does creativity serve for individual outreaching social workers and the social work profession as a whole? The social constructionist approach together with qualitative methodology (i.e., in-depth interviews) were used in this study, in which twelve experienced outreaching social workers of three outreaching teams of a Hong Kong social work agency were interviewed. This study describes the process through which creativity was constructed as a rhetoric in the social work profession, including its evolution and socialisation. The construct of creativity served both personal and professional functions within the contexts of the inherent instability and the contradictory nature of the social work profession. In short, this is not just a study of creativity, but creativity as it reflects the fundamental problems in the social work profession. The pervasiveness of this rhetoric may perpetuate (rather than solve) the "wicked" problems faced by the outreaching social workers as it shifts the attention of the larger social problems to the individual outreaching social workers and thus masks the inherent contradiction of the social work profession. Hence, it reflects the "disempowerment" of the profession. Thus, this study suggests the need for larger social and political strategies for the improvement of the profession. In other words, the profession must go beyond merely constructing creativity to achieve its goals of inducing larger societal change.
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