published_or_final_version / Social Work / Master / Master of Social Work

published_or_final_version / Human Performance / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / Public Administration / Master / Master of Public Administration

There are numerous studies in the past that examine factors, such as demographic, socio-economic, personal and attitudinal, that increase the likelihood of volunteering, among people of all ages. Who volunteers, and why? Among these are factors that are also thought to be important in fostering political participation. Early in the 1970’s, studies have concluded that involvement in voluntary associations provides opportunities for equipping with the necessary skills, strengthening of social networks and enhancing one’s awareness and interests in public issues. These in turn facilitate volunteers’ subsequent political participation as they become more activated politically. This is further explained and exemplified in a more theoretical framework of social capital since its emergence, and attracting widespread discussion. Sociological and educational studies among youths, mostly aged 15 to 25 years, found that they tend to be apathetic and inert towards political participation, making the political outcomes of volunteering appeared highly variable. Meanwhile, literature from many Western countries show conflicting results on the relationship between volunteering and political participation, both being essential elements of active citizenship in civil societies. Social capital scholars focus on shared values and norms, trust and reciprocity that generate and accrue as individuals interact with each other. Therefore it can be hypothesised volunteering should build social capital that contribute to both voting and non-voting political activities. On the contrary, observational studies, especially in the field of education, showed that many youths think their volunteer work is simply a form of helping others in need, or even a stipulated requirement in their high school curriculum, without considering its impact upon their positions in the broader civil sphere or community. As a consequence of the increasing prevalence of volunteerism parallel to government policies in many places worldwide, especially with respect to young people, who are at an age when significant civic and political identities are being developed and shaped, this apparent paradox between youth volunteering and their political participation is increasingly being studied. There is little study on the relationship of youth volunteering and their political participation in Hong Kong. My study is to assess the relationship between youth volunteering and their political participation using a multi-dimensional theoretical framework, taking into consideration of social capital and non-social capital factors, and methodologically adopt a quantitative analysis of findings from a self-administered questionnaire to volunteers of a youth organisation in Hong Kong. Empirically, this study also serves to describe the present profiles of youth volunteers in Hong Kong, together with their volunteering and political experiences. The results from this questionnaire survey show that youth volunteering is associated with political participation in Hong Kong, and factors that may enhance political participation among these volunteers are also identified. / published_or_final_version / Politics and Public Administration / Master / Master of Philosophy

本研究從人類學角度探討非牟利或慈善工作於香港的現況，以志願者及全職受薪工作人員為主要研究對象，並對他們的個人背景、以至他們對慈善工作的看法，作出詳細分析和比較。田野訪談結果顯示，慈善團體內的全職受薪工作人員，在業餘參與義務工作的原因各異；其參與義務工作的原因，不外乎偶然機會，又或是希望暫時逃離刻板的辦公室生活。然而，把他們慈善團體受薪工作與“意義掛勾的報導人當中，又以經濟獨立、服務性質屬於後勤者居多。 / 而志願者方面，他們參與義務工作的目的，主要為了獲取獨特經歷、學習技能、接觸社會上不同層面的人士，以及服務他人。本研究指出：雖然志願工作相對簡單，也不一定在表現上勝於全職行政服務工作，但是通常被認定為更具意義，也對服務對象更有助益。而通過田野訪談及觀察所得，志願工作者與全職職員在參與工作的動機最大不同之處，乃他們的家庭責任觀，以及經濟狀況。作者旨在說明“慈善相關工作的意義“，在香港這個社經氛圍底下，主要在於經濟獨立程度；由是，從參與慈善相關工作衍生出來的象徵性資本，在工作非為應付迫切經濟需要時，方才顯得重要。 / The present thesis is an attempt to understand the meaning of nonprofit work, both paid and unpaid, in Hong Kong. Specifically, I wish to understand the motivations individuals have for becoming involved in paid and volunteer nonprofit work, and how these individuals negotiate new identities for themselves through their involvement in this work. This thesis argues that, rather than a purely spontaneous outpouring of goodwill, altruism itself is a self-enhancement strategy and a counterbalance to the frustrations imposed by a capitalist society no longer able to offer the same promises for fulfillment in work that might have been expected previously. Altruistic acts, both paid and unpaid, are a way for individuals to renegotiate more positive identities for themselves. The “meaning in meaningful employment belongs disproportionately to those who already enjoy a comparatively great amount of economic freedom. Moving to lower levels of economic freedom finds individuals employed in altruistic roles more likely to perceive of their work as personally fulfilling, rather than identifying with the mission of their chosen organizations, while at the lowest levels, we find individuals who have merely ended up in their roles by accident. / The same self-enhancement strategy used by paid employees appears in the narratives of volunteers. While the primary spoken motivations of volunteers interviewed are to enjoy unique experiences and gain skills, to come into contact with different types of people, and to help others (confirming previous research on the reasons why people volunteer), the specific motivation a volunteer reports aligns closely with their relative level of socioeconomic mobility. Thus, the key difference between volunteers and full-time employees is that volunteers conceive of their volunteering as an enhancement of their primary identity as a worker or member of a family, rather than as a rejection of those roles. I argue that the life cycle of working-class and middle-class Hong Kong people makes societally meaningful employment a luxury that few can afford. In short, the ability to spend one’s time meaningfully is itself a marker of high socioeconomic standing. Thus, those with greater socioeconomic standing are more likely to be praised for their involvement, though their contribution is less reliable, their role is more interchangeable, and the work has the least interaction with the very problems they are trying to solve. Altruism functions as another form of cultural capital with which individuals fashion and assert their own place within the social hierarchy. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Mc Kay, Scott Alan. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2012. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 144-149). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstracts in also in Chinese. / Abstract --- p.i / 論文摘要 --- p.iii / Declaration of Anonymity and Confidentiality --- p.iv / Acknowledgements --- p.v / List of Figures --- p.vii / Table of Contents --- p.viii / Chapter Chapter 1 --- Introduction --- p.1 / About Hong Kong’s nonprofit sector --- p.3 / Literature Review --- p.7 / Objectives and Significance --- p.28 / Methodology --- p.30 / Chapter Overview --- p.35 / Chapter Chapter 2 --- Employees of NGOs --- p.37 / Public performance and private selves: the meaning-motivated employee --- p.38 / Challenge and Moral Ambiguity: Experience-motivated Employees --- p.56 / Chance and Personal Connection: Unmotivated Employees --- p.65 / Conclusion --- p.73 / Chapter Chapter 3 --- Volunteers of NGOs --- p.76 / Community, Altruism and the Abstract Meaning of Volunteer Work --- p.77 / Self-enhancement and Growing Up: Experience-Oriented Volunteering --- p.91 / The Influence of the Life Cycle --- p.113 / The Social Hierarchy of Moral Capital --- p.117 / Conclusion --- p.121 / Chapter Chapter 4 --- Conclusion --- p.123 / The Thesis --- p.124 / Analysis --- p.125 / Limitations of the study --- p.130 / Suggestions for further research --- p.133 / Final Thoughts --- p.136 / References cited --- p.137

published_or_final_version / Social Work / Master / Master of Social Sciences