Abstract: Employing Mannheim’s sociology of knowledge as the theoretical framework, this study adopts qualitative research methods to explore the generative mechanisms of practical knowledge within the field of social work in China. The findings reveal that the prevailing structure, characterized by a “strong institution–weak profession” dynamic, imposes significant restrictions on professional autonomy through control over resources and administrative evaluations. In response to such constraints, social workers employ strategies such as “professional discourse translation” and “administrative task professionalization”. Moreover, within the specific local cultural context, social workers mediate the tensions between “relational ethics” and “professional rationality” by leveraging key intermediaries, fulfilling emotional needs, and implementing nuanced care practices to reconstruct professional relationships. At the level of professional education, the disconnection between theory and practice is bridged through reflective practice, forming a spiral progression of “practice–reflection–re-practice”. The study elucidates the pathways through which strategic, relational, and situated knowledge is generated, emphasizing their characteristics of contextual interactivity, individual tastiness, and dynamic development.

Key words: Mannheim’s sociology of knowledge, social work, practical knowledge, generation mechanism