We come as a friend: Issues arising from the fieldwork practice of vietnamese workers in the UK

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Abstract
This article attempts to formulate lessons about trans-cultural social work and questions about professionalism. It draws on the experiences of workers from Vietnam serving their own people in the UK. It highlights the issue of how to work with people from very different cultures in ways which are sensitive and non-racist. It seems that the method of approach as well as the perception of the client will be quite different depending on whether you ‘share the same skin’ or not. And it seems that if you get the wrong approach and use inappropriate methods, the whole transaction can turn out to be completely counter-productive. The nature of the problem, perceptions of power and status, indirect approaches, friendlike relationship, timing and loss of face are all aspects of the way the Vietnamese workers developed their style of practice. There are lessons to be learnt for our practice.

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