This paper presents the findings of a study that examined Vietnamese social work practitioners’ conceptions of practice with people who identified as lesbian or gay. The findings presented in this article, drawn from semi-structured interviews with 12 social work practitioners in Hanoi, Vietnam, form part of the findings of a bigger study that looked into the attitudes of Vietnamese social work practitioners toward sexual minorities and how they conceptualise practice in relation to this segment of the population. A notable proportion of the interview participants, all of whom presented as having moderate to positive attitudes toward sexual minorities, were found to hold a heterosexist assumption with regards to the sexual identity of their clients. And while there was consensus in the need for a social work response, there were differences in the practitioners’ conceptions of what form this should take. The participants were open to direct practice with individuals and a limited degree of community engagement but were apprehensive with the prospect of undertaking policy advocacy. It is argued that these conceptions of practice are informed by limitations imposed by their political environment as well as dominant ideological and philosophical influences.

本文介绍了一项研究的发现，该研究对越南社会工作从业者与被确认为男女同性恋者的实践观念进行了研究。本文提供的调查结果是对越南河内的12名社会工作从业者进行的半结构化访谈得出的，是对越南社会工作从业者对性少数群体的态度以及他们如何将性行为概念化的一项较大研究的发现的一部分。关于这部分人口。受访者中有相当比例的人都表现出对少数族裔的中度至积极态度，但他们对客户的性身份持有异性恋假设。尽管就社会工作的需要达成共识，从业人员对采用何种形式的观念存在差异。参与者愿意与个人进行直接练习，并且社区参与程度有限，但对进行政策宣传的前景感到担忧。有人认为，这些实践观念是由其政治环境所施加的限制以及主要的意识形态和哲学影响所提供的。