Abstract for presentation at Global Social Work 2004

This oral presentation will describe the application of a specific format for assessing the value orientation of a cross-cultural sample of social workers. The primary data collection instrument was the Professional Opinion Scale (Abbott, 1988; 2003) designed to measure four major social work values: respect for basic rights, sense of social responsibility, commitment to social justice, and support of self determination. Data from a sample of social workers from Australia, New Zealand, India, Sri Lanka, South Korea, Philippines, Malaysia, Guam, Singapore, Hong Kong, Norway, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, Russia, Israel, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Bolivia, Columbia, United States, and Canada supported the contention of a shared value base on two out of four values: respect for basic rights and support of self determination. It was believed that members of the Asian sample differed significantly from members of other groups on three out of four values because of their limited familiarity with English, the language of the POS. It was found that for the vast majority of that group, English was not the primary language, and rarely was it even the secondary language. Other possible contributors to difference could be the fact that the Asian group was younger, with lower incomes, and had more members of religions other than Jewish or Christian religions. This study not only suggests the presence of a shared value base, it also provides guidance for future cross-cultural research. It suggests such modifications as the translation of research instruments into the subjects' native language, the incorporation of terminology relevant to the subjects' religion, cultural and political experiences, and the importance of collaboration with researchers representing the perspective of the various cultures being examined. This presentation includes a summary of the methodology, the research findings, and implications for future research design.