Social work in Vietnam: International organisations and service professionalisation for disadvantaged children

Abstract

Social work has been reintroduced in Vietnam in the late 1980s and officially recognised since 2010. With the support from international organisations, the professionalisation of social work, even though is at its infancy state, has contributed to address the local challenges and problems resulted from changing in economic paradigm in 1986 and consequences from globalisation. However, little is known about local and international social work professional development in regard to international organisations and service professionalisation for disadvantaged children. This thesis provides the first theoretical and practice analysis in this area of social work development using Vietnam as a case study. Therefore, this research empirically examines international organisations and service professionalisation for disadvantaged children who make up 18,2 % of the total children (equal to 4.3 millions children). It is hoped to fill in the gaps of knowledge and understanding about the relationship between social work and international organisations in social work professionalisation in a developing country in the global South. A qualitative research on the five selected international organisations has been conducted to unpack the questions of what and how professionalisation being processed in supporting disadvantaged children. Data were drawn from a triangulation approach with 39 in-depth interviews and three focus group discussions, document analysis, and direct observations. The research findings argue for a mutual relationship between international organisations and the social work professionalisation in local context. Importantly, it also advocates for a critical thinking of indigenising, or “Vietnamising” and authentising the social work profession and services in respect to the indigenous culture, economic, political, social, and environmental aspects.