| Author: | Chen, Ka Kit Timothy |
| Title: | Addressing the resonance : narratives of migrant social workers working with young migrant workers in China |
| Advisors: | Ku, Hok-bun Ben (APSS) |
| Degree: | DSW |
| Year: | 2022 |
| Subject: | Social workers -- China Migrant labor -- China Social service -- China Hong Kong Polytechnic University -- Dissertations |
| Department: | Department of Applied Social Sciences |
| Pages: | 310 pages : color illustrations |
| Language: | English |
| Abstract: | The purpose of this study is to present and analyze how migrant social workers without local household registration of two cities of China serve young migrant workers in factories or service industry, who also obtained no local household registration of urban areas in China. Also, the study is to justify and construct the emergence of resonance between migrant social workers and migrant workers in the process of interaction and service delivery, and how the resonance informs the development of the Social Work profession in China. The research, therefore, is developed to unmask the resonant elements experienced by migrant social workers in their life episodes when they connected, understood and served migrant workers in cities and how these episodes inextricably intertwined with personal life of migrant social workers, with responding to the questions: (1) What is the experience of migrant social workers in serving the young migrant workers or labors in urban China? (2) How does the common experience of migration shape the service process? (3) How do the service provided by the migrant social worker shape the life of migrant workers or labors? Focusing on the service relationship between migrant social workers aged 18-33 and young migrant workers from factories or service industry, the research is to explore the stories within. Throughout this process of story-telling, the migrant social workers in the categories of the community-based service for migrant workers and service focusing on advocacy of migrant workers’ labor rights were interviewed so that their professional growth, personal growth and self-orientation to life in cities as well as their life themes shared with migrant workers were explored. Also, how these experiences struck the chord of hearts of migrant social workers to influence their consciousness and persistence of serving the peoples in grass-root level in urban areas of China was brought out and examined. Despite huge amount of researches on the individual wellbeing of migrant workers, welfare access by rural migrant workers in cities, equal rights and social inclusion underwent by migrant workers, social capital and community participation of migrant workers, Discrimination–Life Satisfaction Relationship of migrant workers’ children in China and so on, limited focus falls on how migrant social workers experienced on service delivery for young migrant workers, which contribute to the effectiveness and maintenance of passion and persistence to serve young migrant workers in cities as well as how migrant social workers embrace their professional identity. Narrative inquiry was applied to data collection and analysis. Interviews with migrant social workers (six female and two male) with whom the young migrant workers interacted and community stakeholders, in addition to observation, were triangulated to enhance the verisimilitude and utility of the research. All interviewees shared rich and thick narration on their stories to be social worker and present their life to serve migrant workers. Some common characteristics emerged through the analysis of their narratives: 1) From resonance to decentralizing practice for the betterment of migrant workers. Migrant workers were not forced to learn any ‘professional’ knowledge and skills by social workers, but infiltrate to each other with practical wisdom in context. And social workers were to create a community with migrant workers and perform themselves as co-workers to construct a platform for migrant workers to possess the sense of belonging to cities. 2) From resonance to embodied interest to empower the life of migrant workers. With sharing of embodied interests related to the daily life of migrant workers and migrant social worker as a human, the migrant workers were empowered to discover alternative choices and steps to make change in their future. 3) From impact of resonance to renewal of understanding of professional identity of social worker. The sensitivity of migrant workers’ loose relationship with local residents and heritage was enhanced with social workers’ sense of profession in practice to transform values of migrant workers in their understanding of pursuing life goals with struggle of livelihood improvement. Furthermore, with the narratives of interviewees, the idea of ‘profession of social worker’ is thickened with ‘commitment’ and ‘life togetherness’ with migrant workers to change their social milieu with professional ethics, skills and knowledge. Responding to the life situation of migrant workers, emphasizing the role of social worker as ‘decentralized but influential’ person reminds them to use of authority appropriately in order to serve the life betterment of migrant workers. Therefore, without discrimination on the unique life style of migrant workers, their capability would be discovered in connection to local people when social workers facilitated them. Then, harmonious life in cities becomes possible among the floating population including migrant workers and migrant social workers as well. Following the research finding, further studies on developing the manpower of Social Workers directly from the population of migrant workers is advised. It is recognized that those social workers with migrant backgrounds found it more easy to engage, assess and identify the needs of migrant workers. Establishing training institution of migrant workers in social service field could be under academic investigation to enhance blooming of Social Work profession in China as well as responding to immediate service needs of migrant workers. |
| Rights: | All rights reserved |
| Access: | restricted access |
Files in This Item:
| File | Description | Size | Format | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6902.pdf | For All Users (off-campus access for PolyU Staff & Students only) | 2.14 MB | Adobe PDF | View/Open |
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