丈夫向妻子使用暴力是最常見的性別暴力形式，相比於其他人際間暴力行為更為常見。過往文獻對家庭暴力風險的分佈模式已形成不同的理論解釋，但鮮有研究者試圖在華人社會中探討並檢驗這些從西方社會脈絡中發展出來的理論。本論文將運用資源理論、性別觀點、社會控制等理論視角以解釋香港社會中的家庭暴力行為。 / 本論文使用量化研究方法驗證數個關於家庭暴力社會文化因素的假設。所使用的是2007年在香港一個西北區域收集到的住戶調查數據。該調查在使用概率抽樣下，成功訪問了871對伴侶 (共1, 742人) 。樣本中，10.7%的丈夫在過去一年曾向妻子使用過暴力。本論文主要由三篇獨立成章的實證研究論文組成，每篇論文各自針對一個理論視角指出其不足之處並檢驗過往研究中鮮被驗證過的論點。 / 第一篇論文指出，夫妻間收入差距和丈夫的全職工作降低了丈夫在夫妻關係中的權力慾望，並因此降低了丈夫暴力對待妻子的風險。中介分析驗証了夫婦間收入差距和丈夫的全職工作對丈夫向妻子使用暴力行為存在間接效應。第二篇論文指出，夫妻雙方的性別態度交互地影響了家庭暴力的風險分佈。當妻子持有非傳統的性別態度時，丈夫的傳統性別態度和使用暴力呈正相關。而當丈夫持有傳統的性別態度時，妻子的傳統性別態度則和丈夫使用暴力的風險呈負相關。研究發現，控制了其他變項後，家庭暴力風險最高的伴侶组合為傳統丈夫和非傳統妻子。第三篇論文分析指出，婚姻衝突和丈夫向妻子動武的相關程度受朋輩對伴侶間使用暴力的看法所影響。當朋輩贊同對配偶使用暴力時，婚姻衝突更有可能轉化為家庭暴力。但只有對存在婚姻衝突的伴侶來說，朋輩贊同對配偶使用暴力的看法才會增加家庭暴力的發生風險。 / 本論文意在表明家庭暴力成因的複雜性。影響丈夫向妻子使用暴力的各個因素不單相互連結，而且各個因素交互地影響了家庭暴力的風險分佈。此項研究結果反映了社會需要一套綜合的預防及干預策略，通過不同層面的角色合作以减少家庭暴力。 / Husband-to-wife violence is the most common form of gender-based violence and is much more prevalent than many other forms of interpersonal violence. In the literature, some theories are developed to explain the prevalence pattern of husband-to-wife violence. The focus of this thesis is on the applications and discussions of resource theories, gender ideology and a social control perspective. These theories are primarily developed in the Western context. However, empirical tests of these theories in Chinese societies are still rare. / A quantitative approach is adopted in this thesis to empirically test the hypotheses about the relationship between socio-cultural factors and husband-to-wife violence in Hong Kong. A household survey, with a probability sample, was conducted in a northwestern district of Hong Kong in 2007. In total, 871 couples (1,742 respondents) had completed the survey. The prevalence rate of husband-to-wife physical assault over the past year was 10.7%. The main body of this thesis contains three empirical papers analyzing the prevalence pattern of husband-to-wife violence in Hong Kong. Each of the papers addresses the limitations of a theoretical perspective and contributes by testing some of the ideas from the above perspectives that have not been empirically examined in past studies. / In the first paper, the analysis shows that a couple’s income difference and the husband’s full-time employment are negatively associated with the husband’s desire to have more decision-making power in the relationship, while the husband’s desire to have more power in the relationship is positively associated with husband-to-wife physical assault. Mediation tests confirm that a couple’s income difference and the husband’s full-time employment status have exerted indirect effects on husband-to-wife violence through the husband’s power motive. In the second paper, the analysis shows that the interaction of couples’ gender role attitudes plays important role in shaping the risk of husband-to-wife physical assault. Husbands’ gender role traditionalism is positively associated with husband-to-wife physical assault only when they are coupled with wives who have non-traditional attitudes. Wives’ gender role traditionalism is negatively associated with husband-to-wife physical assault only when they are coupled with traditional husbands. Non-traditional wives with traditional husbands face the highest risk of husband-to-wife violence, controlling for other factors. The third empirical paper shows that the strength of association between marital conflict and husband-to-wife violence in Hong Kong was conditioned by peer approval of spousal violence. The association between marital conflict and violence is stronger for couples who had at least some friends who approve spousal violence. Likewise, peer approval of spousal violence is positively associated with husband-to-wife violence only for couples that experienced marital conflict. In contrast, there is no significant association between peer approval of spousal violence and husband-to-wife violence for couples that experienced low-levels of marital conflict. / In sum, this thesis reveals the complexity of the causes of husband-to-wife violence that the correlates of husband-to-wife physical assault are interrelated and their associations with husband-to-wife violence are not independent of each other. This work calls for a comprehensive intervention and prevention package that requires efforts from multiple agencies operating at different levels. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Cheung, Ka Lok. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2012. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 86-97). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstract also in Chinese; appendix includes Chinese. / Acknowledgements --- p.iv / List of Tables --- p.vi / List of Figures --- p.ix / Chapter Chapter 1. --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1. --- Background of the Study --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2. --- Research Objectives --- p.3 / Chapter 1.3. --- Methodological Approach --- p.7 / Chapter 1.3.1. --- Data Source --- p.7 / Chapter 1.3.2. --- Measures of the Dependent Variable (The Revised Conflict Tactics Scale) --- p.9 / Chapter 1.4. --- Organizational Structure of the Thesis --- p.10 / Chapter Chapter 2. --- Husband’s Resources, Power Motive and Husband-To-Wife Physical Assault: A Mediational Analysis of Resources Theories in a Chinese Society --- p.14 / Chapter 2.1. --- Introduction --- p.14 / Chapter 2.2. --- Past Literature and the Current Study --- p.14 / Chapter 2.2.1. --- Resource Theories and Domestic Violence: The Role of Power Motive --- p.15 / Chapter 2.2.2. --- Resources and Domestic Violence: Other Possible Explanations --- p.18 / Chapter 2.2.3. --- Hong Kong as a Chinese Society --- p.20 / Chapter 2.3. --- Methods --- p.21 / Chapter 2.3.1. --- Measures of Independent Variables --- p.21 / Chapter 2.3.2. --- Analytic Strategy --- p.23 / Chapter 2.4. --- Results --- p.25 / Chapter 2.4.1. --- Descriptive Statistics and Bivariate Associations --- p.25 / Chapter 2.4.2. --- Results from Logistic and OLS Regression Models --- p.28 / Chapter 2.4.3. --- Products of Coefficients and Significant Level for Indirect Effects --- p.29 / Chapter 2.5. --- Discussion and Conclusion --- p.31 / Chapter Chapter 3. --- Traditional Husband With Non-Traditional Wife: Couple’s Gender Role Attitudes and Husband-to-Wife Physical Assault --- p.35 / Chapter 3.1. --- Introduction --- p.35 / Chapter 3.2. --- Past Literature and the Current Study --- p.36 / Chapter 3.2.1. --- Couple’s Gender Role Attitudes and Husband-to-Wife Physical Assault --- p.36 / Chapter 3.2.2. --- Hypotheses of the Current Study --- p.41 / Chapter 3.2.3. --- Context for the Current Study: Hong Kong --- p.42 / Chapter 3.3. --- Methods --- p.43 / Chapter 3.3.1. --- Measures of the Independent Variables --- p.43 / Chapter 3.3.2. --- Analytic Strategy --- p.44 / Chapter 3.4. --- Results --- p.45 / Chapter 3.4.1. --- Descriptive Statistics and Bivariate Associations --- p.45 / Chapter 3.4.2. --- Results from Logistic Regression Models --- p.46 / Chapter 3.4.3. --- Interpreting the Interaction Effect --- p.49 / Chapter 3.5. --- Discussion and Conclusion --- p.51 / Chapter Chapter 4. --- Marital Conflict, Peer Approval of Spousal Violence and Husband-to-Wife Physical Assault: Testing an Interaction Effect Hypothesis --- p.55 / Chapter 4.1. --- Introduction --- p.55 / Chapter 4.2. --- Past Literature and the Current Study --- p.57 / Chapter 4.2.1. --- Marital Conflict and Husband-to-Wife Physical Assault --- p.57 / Chapter 4.2.2. --- Peer Approval of Spousal Violence and Husband-to-Wife Physical Assault --- p.58 / Chapter 4.2.3. --- Towards an Interactive Effect Hypothesis --- p.61 / Chapter 4.3. --- Methods --- p.61 / Chapter 4.3.1. --- Measures of the Independent Variables --- p.61 / Chapter 4.3.2. --- Analytic Strategy --- p.63 / Chapter 4.4. --- Results --- p.63 / Chapter 4.4.1. --- Descriptive Statistics and Bivariate Associations --- p.63 / Chapter 4.4.2. --- Results from Logistic Regression Model --- p.65 / Chapter 4.4.3. --- Interpreting the Interaction Effect --- p.66 / Chapter 4.5. --- Discussion and Conclusion --- p.68 / Chapter Chapter 5. --- Conclusion --- p.72 / Chapter 5.1. --- Summary of Findings --- p.72 / Chapter 5.2. --- Limitations of the Current Study and Suggestions for Future Research --- p.74 / Chapter Appendix A --- Results of Additional Analysis for Husband-to-Wife Psychological Aggression and Sexual Coercion --- p.78 / Chapter Appendix B --- Original questions for the multiple-item scales (in Chinese) --- p.84 / Bibliography --- p.86

This dissertation presents three essays on retirement and savings behaviour. It relies on secondary data from British national surveys to empirically address how workers prepare and adapt to the economic circumstances of later life. Chapter 1 analyses the effectiveness of providing workers with the opportunity to join workplace pension schemes to stimulate pension savings. It estimates the potential opt-in rate among employees who haven’t been offered a pension plan by an employer, had they been offered the opportunity to join a scheme. Governmental policies enforcing pension plan provision at every workplace could generate a major impact on aggregate participation rates. This potential success does not seem to be conditional on the existence of mechanisms imposed by law concerning the way workers are enrolled. Chapter 2 examines the effect of workplace pension schemes provision and participation on other individual financial savings, such as personal pension plans and financial assets. It exploits the variability in workplace pension scheme provision and membership induced by the employer’s payroll size as an identification strategy. No evidence is found that providing employees with access to workplace pension schemes would make them less likely to save through non-pension financial instruments. These results support the enforcement of the universal provision of workplace pension schemes as a national policy to improve financial preparation for retirement. Chapter 3 builds on the literature of the economic role of home production of goods and services at retirement. The literature usually restricts the explanation of retirees’ heterogeneous attitudes towards home production to gender differences or social norms related to couples’ division of labour. The present study provides novel evidence that non-cognitive skills in the form of personality traits explain the heterogeneous reallocation of time and consumption that occurs during a transition from the labour market to retirement.