Asian Journal of Counselling


Vol. 9 Nos. 1 & 2 , Pages 105 - 130 , 2002

Implications of Social Constructionism to Counseling and Social Work Practice

Siu-Wai Lit & Daniel T. L. Shek

Abstract

With the emergence of postmodernism, the positivistic worldview of objective reality is being challenged. The postmodern worldview, as exemplified by the metatheory of social constructionism, has great influence on our understanding of how knowledge is constructed and how intervention is carried out in different helping professions, such as counseling and social work. This article describes the basic tenets of social constructionism and examines the implications of social constructionist principles on counseling and social work practice. The contributions of social constructionism and the difficulties of applying social constructionist principles in counseling and social work settings within the Chinese cultural context are also discussed.

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