sosc 103d social inequality in hk revision class

SOSC 103DSocial Inequality in HK

Revision Class

SOSC 103D: Revision class 2

The descriptive and predictive power of the concept “class”

What is Hong Kong’s class structure? How many classes in Hong Kong? How people are assigned to different classes?

1. Is the concept of ‘class’ useful in understanding HK society?


The descriptive and predictive power of the concept “class”

Is it a good way to understand the inequality situation in Hong Kong?

How people’s life style, work experience, leisure activities, mobility chances, education opportunities, etc. are differed by their class membership?

Can it further predict the trend of inequality?



Readings:1. Wong, T & Lui, T.L. (1992) Reinstating Class: a

Structural and Development Study of Hong Kong Society. (on teaching web)

2. Argyle, Michael (1994) “Work, leisure and lifestyle” in The Psychology of Social Class

3. Leung, Benjamin K. P. (1994) “Class and Class Formation in Hong Kong Studies,” in Inequalities and Development: Social Stratification in Chinese Societies.



2. How does ‘Hong Kong Dream’ affect our belief and our way of life?The associations between HK’s development and the emergence of the new-middle class

How do the economic growth and social development during the 70s and 80s change Hong Kong’s occupational and class structure?

What is the change? How do the general population benefits from the

change?


2. How does ‘Hong Kong Dream’ affect our belief and our way of life?The associations between HK’s

development and the emergence of Hong Kong Dream

What is Hong Kong Dream? The co-existence of hope and strain The discrepancies of experience among HK people

The role of:i. Mobility experience (social and individual)ii. Collective memories


2. How does ‘Hong Kong Dream’ affect our belief and our way of life? Readings:

1. Wong, Thomas and Tai-lok Lui (2000) “Morality, class and the Hong Kong way of life” in Social development and political change in Hong Kong

2. Leung, Benjamin K. P. (1994) “Class and Class Formation in Hong Kong Studies,” in Inequalities and Development: Social Stratification in Chinese Societies.

3. Wong, T & Lui, T.L. (1992) Reinstating Class: a Structural and Development Study of Hong Kong


3. Who are living in poverty? What are the causes of poverty? Who are the poor people in Hong Kong?

Measure of poverty Living conditions of poor people Problems faced by poor people

Main concerns: Various reasons of poverty What makes people poor in modern and

affluent society?


3. Who are living in poverty? What are the causes of poverty? What is the social image of poor people

in Hong Kong?! How does it relate to our understanding

on the causes of poverty? The gap between reality and social

perception The relations between people’s ideas on the

causes of rich and the causes of poor


3. Who are living in poverty? What are the causes of poverty? Readings:

1. Wong, Hung (2003) “The Quality of Life of Hong Kong's Poor Households in the 1990s: Cost of Living, Income Security and Poverty Situation”

2. Gottschalk, P., et al. (2001) “The Dynamics and Intergenerational Transmission of Poverty and Welfare Participation,” in Social Stratification (2/e)

3. Lueng, Sai-wing (2003) “Public Perceptions of Rich and Poor” in Lau S.K. et al (ed.) Indicators of Social Development: Hong Kong 2001


4. How do HK Government and its welfare policies approach to poverty? Concepts:

Conservative view on welfare Liberal view on welfare Familial Utilitarianism

Background: The history of welfare system under the

colonial government


4. How do HK Government and its welfare policies approach to poverty? Can we use either the conservative

view or the liberal view to understand the development of HK’s welfare policies? How does HK government perceive the

reasons and consequences of poverty? How does HK government understand the

relations between poverty and inequality?


4. How do HK Government and its welfare policies approach to poverty? Readings:

1. Gottschalk, P., et al. (2001) “The Dynamics and Intergenerational Transmission of Poverty and Welfare Participation,” in Social Stratification (2/e)

2. Lee, William (2002) “Poverty Policy in Hong Kong: Western Models and Cultural Divergence,” in Social Development Issues, 24(1): 45-55

3. Wong, Hung (2003) “The Quality of Life of Hong Kong's Poor Households in the 1990s: Cost of Living, Income Security and Poverty Situation”


5. How are marginal groups of people being excluded from our society? Concepts:

Marginalized groups Social exclusion & inclusion Social discrimination Citizenship

Who are the marginalized population in HK? Why are they being marginalized/ excluded

from the majority?


5. How are marginal groups of people being excluded from our society? In what ways can we understand the

difficulties and discrimination faced by the marginalized groups in our society? Difficulties in joining the economy Limitations of mobility opportunities Insufficient protection by the legal system Limited social rights


5. How are marginal groups of people being excluded from our society? Readings:

1. Saloojee, Anver (2001) “Social Inclusion, Citizenship and Diversity,” in the Canadian Council on Social Development

2. Reskin, B. (2001) “Labor Markets as Queues: A Structural Approach to Changing Occupational Sex Composition,” in Social Stratification: Class, Race and Gender in Sociological Perspective (2/e)

3. South, Nigel (2005) “Inequalities, Crime, and Citizenship,” in The Blackwell Companion to Social Inequalities.


6. What is the dominant norm of upward mobility in Hong Kong? Concepts:

Merit and Meritocracy Sponsored mode Contest mode

Background: (Turner) Relations between the mobility mode and

the education system in a society


6. What is the dominant norm of upward mobility in Hong Kong? How could we use the two mode of

mobility to understand the education policies and ethos in HK? Definition of merit Function of education (individual vs social) Role of education on upward mobility General perception on the importance of

education (government and the public)


6. What is the dominant norm of upward mobility in Hong Kong? Readings:

1. Turner, Ralph H. (1960) “Sponsored and Contest Mobility and the School System,” American Sociology Review 25:855-867

2. Wong, Thomas and C.H. Ng (1997) “Education Ethos and Social Change” in Indicators of Social Development: Hong Kong 1995

3. David Post (2003) “Post-Secondary Education in Hong Kong,” in Asian Survey, 43(6): 989-1011


7. Why would the inequality still exist after educational expansion? Concepts:

Equality in opportunities Credential inflation Inequality in educational attainment

Background: Different stages of educational expansion in

Hong Kong since early 1970s Persistent inequality in university admission


7. Why would the inequality still exist after educational expansion? To what extend have students from

lower class background been disadvantaged from the current educational system? How are they be excluded from education? What makes them perform less well in

school? Do they benefited from the educational

expansion? If yes, how? If no, why?


7. Why would the inequality still exist after educational expansion? Readings:

1. Ball, Stephen (1986) Education, chapter 4 & 5

2. David Post (2003) “Post-Secondary Education in Hong Kong,” in Asian Survey, 43(6): 989-1011

3. Turner, Ralph H. (1960) “Sponsored and Contest Mobility and the School System,” American Sociology Review 25:855-867

sosc 103d social inequality in hk revision class

Documents

concept class

reinstating class

class formation

class membership

hk revision class slide

psychology of social

hong kongs class structure

concept of class useful