Abstract: The localization of social work is a spontaneous and collective academic orientation and pragmatic guidance in the theoretical development and practical promotion of social work. The legitimacy of constructing the native knowledge for social work lies in: 1) correlation of cultural values, 2) discourse process and valuabilitylegitimacy dialogue, 3) ideology, political practice and legitimacy defense, and 4) reflective and effective construction of native knowledge and experience. The principles governing native knowledge construction include: 1) conforming to indigenous experience and meeting realistic actual need, 2) communicating with western knowledge and conducting conversations, and 3) observing and transcending traditions of native cultural resources exploitation and cultivation. The approach to native knowledge construction path consists in: 1) “native fitness” and “structural affinity”, 2) cultural selfconsciousness, autonomous practice and reflective construction, 3) concentration on “identity problem” and creative transformation, and 4) realization of history in theorization―culture embedded. The realization of social work localization requires symbolic resources and social representation and value systems derived through creative transformation as well as the meaning generation modes, the basis of speech effectiveness, meaning generation rules and social intervening strategies in social work under the Chinese cultural background.

Key words: social work, localization, knowledge construction, legitimacy