Characteristic And Functional Analysis Of Civil Social Work Service Agency

Since 1980's, social work education has been established in China for nearly 20 years and a large number of students have graduated from these social work programs. But because social work professionalization process has lagged behind of the development of social work education, there is a lack of social work service agencies to absorb these graduates. As a result, these graduates have to work in a number of other industries. With the deepening of socioeconomic reform and opening of Chinese society and market and the changes of population structure and people's demands, the entire economic and social structures of China have also undergone tremendous changes. It makes a higher demand of the transformation of China's public management and social organization. And there is an urgent need to change the functions of the government concerning people's livelihood. These changes provide enormous opportunities for the development of professional social work services. During the past five years, to meet this need, there has been an increase of private non-profit services agencies providing professional social work in a number of cities in China gradually. They may speed up China's process of establishing a social work occupation, and raise a general concern among all sectors of the society. These social work professional service agencies are new social phenomenon. They not only have some strength, but also encounter some difficulties due to their unique characteristics and functions. Based on the research and analysis of some non-state social work service agencies in Shanghai, Shenzhen, Jinan, this paper summarizes some characteristics and functions of these social work agencies and presents some of their current challenges and issues. This paper also puts forward some countermeasures and suggestions that may help this kind of civil Social work services agency to have a healthy and orderly development.