The Development of social work system at Local Government Level: The Experience in Taipei County during 1990s

• Main Authors: I-Jen Wang, 王怡人
• Other Authors: 鄭麗珍
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2007
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/64551529449391639402

碩士 === 國立臺灣大學 === 社會工作學研究所 === 95 === The social work system of local government in Taiwan had gone through a transitional process since 1970s. The central government, in facing the social and economic changes 60s and 70s, had implemented a pilot social work system in the local level to administrate social problems and deliver social services to the needed. Besides, the democratic movement starting from 1970s had also challenged the patriarchal governmental administration and asked for more autonomy in the local government level. In echoing both external changes, the social service unit of Taipei County Government changed the prior pilot social work service system and proposed a social service system reform in the October 1990. Under the prior pilot social worker system, the County Government accredited the social workers by geographical unit in the villages or towns. After the system reformed, the social work service system has been divided into several service centers by different functions according to specific population group, such as center of welfare service for elderly, center of welfare service for disabled, women and children service center, youth service center, voluntary center, in responding to the welfare policy which has gone through the old to bring forth the new to change. I, as the researcher, had started my frontline social work practice in Taipei County at prior 1990s and had personally experienced these changes. I considers this reform happened in social work service system of Taipei County has not only changed the modes and procedures of social work practice, but also the social work practice per se and the services the clients has received. Therefore, basing on the personal narratives of frontline social workers who have gone through this transitional process, I intend to explore and represent what is governmental social work practice like in 1990s under these societal, governmental, and administrative transitional process changes at Taipei County. In data presenting, I’ve using a bifocal illustrative strategy to present these governmental social workers’ practice experiences. One is the evolved course of the social work system and the other is the operational procedure of governmental social work practice. In discussion section, I propose a historical perspective in understanding social work practice at the local government of Taiwan. I argue that through this historical perspective, governmental social work practice is undergoing unease transformation accordance to the social position of social work profession, the autonomy of each social worker, and the governance of local government. Finally, I think that the transitional process in the local government social work system is bringing an opportunity for us to consider what the governmental social work should be like and hope this study could be part of the foundations for future study.