Hong Kong and Community Studies

 

Hong Kong Study

 

The return to sovereignty from colonial rule has brought great social and political changes in Hong Kong. The Centre called for papers from scholars with research interest in Hong Kong society. Three edited volumes are then published in 3 separate themes. The first one is on the change in government from colonial rule to special administrative region. The second publication discusses the inequality in the contemporary Hong Kong. The third volume uncovers the relatively less well known "patriotic" organizations in post-war Hong Kong. Academic research in these organizations are still rare. This book has filled an important gap in Hong Kong studies.

 

Other Hong Kong studies from the Centre relate to the investigation of fundamental social conditions. A project (funded by the General Research Fund from the Research Grants Council ) aimed at comparing the pattern and level of gambling among married couples in Hong Kong. Another project examined the re-industrialization of Chinese movie value chain since economic reform, again funded by the Research Grants Council. Other projects include women labour force participation (as a project in Population Policy Research Programme, and funded by the South China Programme), family study, and the development of Hong Kong film industry.

 

 

Tradtional Chinese Medicine (TCM)

 

A most recent research focus is on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). We make use of comparative data over the past 20 years available from the Social Indicators Research Programme of the Institute, and conducted a new survey in 2015 to establish the longer term trends in general perceptions and utilizations of TCM.

 

 

Community Study

 

The Centre has done several evaluative research projects in urban renewal and redevelopment. Urban renewal improved physical living environment, but residents suffered from the breakdown of social ties after relocation.