The humanitarian base of individual-collectivist orientation to social welfare: Perceptions of social work graduates in three Chinese societies

Abstract

The graduates of undergraduate social work programs in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the People's Republic of China have a positive view of humanitarian issues, which suggests a collectivist orientation to social welfare. However, they still retain the traditional emphasis on individual and family responsibility, and they expect individuals to be self-sufficient by relying on their own efforts and resources to cope with their problems. Differences in value perceptions among graduates are largely due to differences in political-economic ideologies.