published_or_final_version / Journalism and Media Studies Centre / Master / Master of Journalism

Shum Hoi Ying. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 160-168). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / ABSTRACT --- p.i / ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS --- p.iii / CONTENTS --- p.v / Chapter CHAPTER 1 --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Research background / Chapter 1.1.1 --- The importance of group characteristics in designing an effective empowering mechanism / Chapter 1.1.2 --- Community currency as an empowering mechanism for the powerless poor / Chapter 1.2 --- Research objectives: To reveal the effectiveness of community currency in generating empowerment for the urban poor / Chapter 1.3 --- Research significance / Chapter 1.3.1 --- Theoretical significance / Chapter 1.3.2 --- Practical significance / Chapter CHAPTER 2 --- Literature review --- p.10 / Chapter 2.1 --- Paying attention to the powerless poor in the city / Chapter 2.1.1 --- The multi-dimensional understanding of urban poverty / Chapter 2.1.2 --- Economic restructuring and social polarization / Chapter 2.1.3 --- Urban poverty in Hong Kong 一 in the context of economic restructuring / Chapter 2.2 --- Community currency as an empowering mechanism for the poor / Chapter 2.2.1 --- The importance of community building / Chapter 2.2.2 --- Empowering the poor using community currency - the experience of other countries / Chapter 2.3 --- Understanding the empowerment of individuals / Chapter 2.3.1 --- The concept of empowerment - -An overview / Chapter 2.3.2 --- The conceptualization of empowerment at the individual level / Chapter 2.3.3 --- The organizational characteristics of an empowering mechanism / Chapter CHAPTER 3 --- Research framework --- p.39 / Chapter 3.1 --- Inspirations from the literature / Chapter 3.2 --- Research questions / Chapter 3.3 --- Analytical framework - Studying the effectiveness of community currency as an empowering mechanism / Chapter CHAPTER 4 --- Research methodology / Chapter 4.1 --- Research design / Chapter 4.2 --- Data Sources / Chapter 4.2.1 --- In-depth interviews / Chapter 4.2.2 --- Participant observation / Chapter 4.3 --- Subject selections / Chapter 4.4 --- Core questions for interviews / Chapter 4.5 --- Methods of data analysis / Chapter CHAPTER 5 --- Understanding the Community Oriented Mutual Economy (COME) --- p.49 / Chapter 5.1 --- The context for the foundation of COME in Hong Kong / Chapter 5.1.1 --- The economic context / Chapter 5.1.2 --- The community context / Chapter 5.1.3 --- The organizational context / Chapter 5.2 --- The participants of COME - the powerless urban poor in Hong Kong / Chapter 5.3 --- The general description of COME / Chapter 5.3.1 --- The basic objectives of COME / Chapter 5.3.2 --- The functional structure of COME / Chapter 5.3.3 --- The exchanges in COME / Chapter CHAPTER 6 --- The effect of COME in empowering the poor --- p.64 / Chapter 6.1 --- The empowerment outcomes at individual level / Chapter 6.1.1 --- Intrapersonal empowerment / Chapter 6.1.2 --- Interactional empowerment / Chapter 6.1.3 --- Behavioral empowerment / Chapter 6.2 --- Explaining the effects of COME in empowering the poor with its organizational characteristics / Chapter 6.2.1 --- Low degree of organizational regulation / Chapter 6.2.2 --- Group based belief system / Chapter 6.2.3 --- Multiple opportunity role structure / Chapter 6.2.4 --- Peer based support system / Chapter 6.2.5 --- Shared leadership with commitment / Chapter CHAPTER 7 --- The constraints of COME in empowering the poor --- p.103 / Chapter 7.1 --- The constraint on raising the critical awareness of the participants / Chapter 7.2 --- The constraint on the development of diversified skills / Chapter 7.3 --- The constraint on encouraging organizational participation / Chapter CHAPTER 8 --- Conclusion --- p.113 / Chapter 8.1 --- Summary of findings / Chapter 8.2 --- Understanding the effectiveness of community currency as an empowering mechanism for the poor / Chapter 8.2.1 --- Theoretical implications / Chapter 8.2.2 --- Practical implications / Chapter 8.3 --- Methodological implications / Chapter 8.4 --- Suggestions for further research / Chapter 8.5 --- Outlook and vision / APPENDICES / Appendix A: Tables / "Table I Employment distribution by industrial sectors for the years of 1997, 2001 and 2002" --- p.124 / Table II Percentage of the working population in different industries by monthly income from main employment of in the year of 2001 --- p.125 / Table III Unemployment rate by previous industry from 1993 to 2003 --- p.126 / Table IV Underemployment rate by previous industry from 1993 to 2003 --- p.127 / Table V Unemployment rate by previous occupation from 1993 to 2003 --- p.128 / Table VI Underemployment rate by previous occupation from 1993 to 2003 --- p.129 / Table VII General profiles of respondents (Participants) --- p.130 / Table VIII General profiles of respondents (St. James Staff) --- p.132 / Table IX Number of members in each functional division of COME --- p.133 / Table X The summary of exchange of the respondents --- p.134 / Table XI The intrapersonal empowerment of participants --- p.136 / Table XII The interactional empowerment of participants --- p.138 / Table XIII The behavioral empowerment of participants --- p.141 / Appendix B: Documents / Document I Core questions for the interviews --- p.143 / Document II The basic objectives of COME --- p.146 / Document III Admission procedures for individual members --- p.148 / Document IV The operation of exchange in COME --- p.149 / Document V Membership characteristics --- p.152 / Document VI The operations and functions of each functional division --- p.156 / Appendix C: Figure / Figure I Organizational chart of COME --- p.159 / BIBLIOGRAPHY --- p.160