by Kenneth Wing-kin Law. / Publication date from spine. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1995. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves [325]-371). / Questionnaire in Chinese. / List of Tables --- p.viii / Acknowledgements --- p.x / Chapter 1. --- Introduction --- p.1 / Global Trend of Population Aging --- p.2 / Population Aging as a Sort of Social Problem --- p.5 / The Development of Elderly Studies in Hong Kong --- p.13 / Areas of Study --- p.19 / Chapter (1) --- Social exaggeration of the elderly problem --- p.22 / Chapter (2) --- Social construction of the elderly problem --- p.25 / Chapter (3) --- Ethics of applied social research --- p.29 / Organization of the Dissertation --- p.32 / Chapter 2. --- Literature Review --- p.34 / Early Sociological Study on the Elderly (1940-1980) --- p.35 / Chapter (1) --- Role theory --- p.36 / Chapter (2) --- Activity theory --- p.38 / Chapter (3) --- Disengagement theory --- p.39 / Chapter (4) --- Subculture theory --- p.40 / Chapter (5) --- Modernization theory --- p.41 / Contemporary Sociological Study on the Elderly (1980and onwards) --- p.46 / Chapter (1) --- Modernization and the decline of social status of the elderly --- p.48 / Chapter (2) --- Nature of the elderly problem --- p.52 / Chapter (3) --- Myths towards later life --- p.55 / Chapter 3. --- Analytical Framework --- p.59 / Biaes in Elderly Studies --- p.61 / Chapter (1) --- Conceptual bias --- p.62 / Chapter (2) --- Methodological bias --- p.67 / Social Construction of Social Problems --- p.69 / Chapter (1) --- Definition of social problems --- p.70 / Chapter (2) --- The subject matter of the sociology of social problems --- p.77 / Chapter (3) --- Social problems as claims-making activities --- p.81 / Social Exaggeration and Claims-making Activities --- p.88 / Chapter 4. --- Research Design --- p.97 / Social Exaggeration of the Elderly Problem in Hong Kong --- p.98 / Chapter (1) --- The logic and design of the survey --- p.99 / Chapter 1. --- Sample design and data collection --- p.101 / Chapter 2. --- Instrumentation --- p.103 / Chapter (2) --- The logic and design of the content analysis --- p.107 / Chapter 1. --- Sample and data collection --- p.109 / Chapter 2. --- Instrumentation --- p.110 / Social Construction of Elderly Problem --- p.113 / Ethics of Applied Social Research --- p.116 / Chapter 5. --- Population Aging in Hong Kong --- p.120 / The Growth of the Elderly Population --- p.120 / Convergence with Western Aged Societies --- p.123 / Divergence with Western Aged Societies --- p.129 / Explanations: Conventional Wisdom --- p.133 / An Alternative Explanation: Chinese Immigrants from Mainland China --- p.136 / Implications --- p.142 / Concluding Remarks --- p.150 / Chapter 6. --- Social Exaggeration of the Elderly Problemin Hong Kong --- p.153 / Social Perception of the Elderly --- p.155 / Chapter (1) --- Social perception of the social status of the elderly --- p.157 / Chapter (2) --- Social stereotyping of the elderly --- p.165 / Chapter (3) --- Social perception of elderly problems --- p.178 / Social and Economic Life of the Elderly in Hong Kong --- p.181 / Chapter (1) --- Social network and social relationships --- p.181 / Chapter (2) --- Economic sufficiency --- p.186 / Chapter (3) --- Life satisfaction --- p.189 / Chapter (4) --- Physical health condition --- p.197 / Chapter (5) --- Social status --- p.202 / An Alternative Explanation of the Discrepancy --- p.206 / Chapter (1) --- Structural origins of the negative social steretyping of the elderly --- p.206 / Chapter (2) --- Conceptual bias --- p.209 / Chapter (3) --- Methodological bias --- p.215 / Concluding Remarks --- p.222 / Chapter 7. --- Social Construction of the Elderly Problemin Hong Kong --- p.225 / The Process of the Social Construction of the Elderly Problem in Hong Kong --- p.231 / Chapter (1) --- Stage 1: Agitation --- p.240 / Chapter (2) --- Stage 2: Legitimating and co-optation --- p.249 / Politicization of Social Problems and Professionalization of Social Work --- p.254 / Concludidng Remarks --- p.262 / Chapter 8. --- Ethics of Applied Social Research --- p.266 / The Predomination of Applied Social Research in Hong Kong --- p.268 / Value in Applied Social Research --- p.273 / Ethical Issues in Elderly Research in Hong Kong --- p.283 / Chapter (1) --- General quality of researchers --- p.286 / Chapter (2) --- Value in applied social research --- p.291 / Chapter (3) --- Social responsibility of researchers --- p.306 / Concluding Remarks --- p.310 / Chapter 9. --- Conclusion --- p.312 / Bibliography --- p.325 / Appendix 1: Survey Questionnaire --- p.372 / Appendix 2: List of Reviewed Research Reports --- p.394 / Appendix 3: Comparison of the Distribution of Age and Sex between Sample and Population --- p.400