Aetiology of anorexia nervosa in Hong Kong: a social work qualitative inquiry

This paper reports the results of a qualitative inquiry into the aetiology of anorexia nervosa in Hong Kong. These results are part of our main research project about family treatment and families with a daughter suffering from anorexia nervosa. This present qualitative study adopts a multiple case study approach (n = 8) and employs a multiple‐source data collection method, involving pre‐ and post‐family treatment interviews, clinical observations of the participants during the treatment sessions and home visits, as well as detailed field notes. The findings indicate that there are biological, psychological, socio‐cultural and familial interpretations of the aetiology of anorexia nervosa. This study challenges the dominant discourse on anorexia nervosa in Hong Kong, which states that the root of the disease lies in a desire for slenderness and beauty, and suggests instead that the aetiology of anorexia nervosa can be discovered only if approached from the systems level. Implications for social work practice are highlighted.     

Introduction Private and Public: Gender,Generation and Family Life in Flux

In the past four decades, Hong Kong has seen a dramatic transformation of the social location of women in the public sphere, with deep and far-reaching ramifications for courtship, marriage, fertility, conceptions of parenthood, familial power, and equality and freedom. A sociology of the family is thus by necessity a sociology of women in particular, and of gender relations in general. Indeed, recent developments in research on marriage and the family in Hong Kong reflect this new awareness. Using rigorous sociological frameworks, this new line of research has begun to meet with some success in analyzing contemporary social issues that are prominent in the public consciousness. This essay reviews studies of four topical areas: determinants of the postponement of first marriage among women, the effect of live-in foreign domestic workers on family dynamics, violence against women and children in the family, and the livelihood strategies of cross-border families. These studies have attempted to integrate the interplay of the impact of a changing economy and society on the family and the role played by women in the family. The resulting dynamic interactions amongst the members within the family and the changes they bring about become propellants for change in the economy and society and pose new challenges. The family is indeed a troubled institution. It is so because myriad public issues are being taken on, confronted, worked through, and acted out within the family. The agony, and indeed the ecstasy, of the family is a reflection of the success, and failure, of society.     

Barriers to returning to work for people with spinal cord injuries: a focus group study

The rate of employment for people with spinal cord injuries is relatively low, especially among Asians. To help individuals with spinal cord injuries return to work or retain employment, rehabilitation professionals must understand the barriers to employment and intervene to reduce or remove them. Hence, a focus group study was administered to 16 people with spinal cord injuries to explore return to work barriers. Various ideas, beliefs, responses, and values at different stages of work resettlement were elicited from both employed and unemployed participants, and then summarized. According to the results, several modifications of existing forms of rehabilitation intervention are necessary, as are further research directions.     

Validation of the Chinese version of the Oswestry Disability Index

This study aimed to collect evidence on the structural and substantive validity, and test-retest reliability of the Chinese version of the Oswestry Disability Index (CODI). Seventy-nine patients suffering from chronic low back pain were assessed with the CODI. The results of explorative factor analysis primarily suggested a single-factor structure with nine out of 10 items (factor loading = 0.66-0.79). The sex life item was found to load on a different factor. The Cronbach's alpha of all 10 items was 0.81 (p<0.05). When the sex life item was removed from the analysis, the alpha value was increased to 0.89 (p<0.05). The test-retest reliability was estimated based on 56 participants who completed two administrations of CODI in 48 hours. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) computed for the total CODI scores was 0.86 (95% C.I. = 0.81-0.91). The reliability estimated for the item scores using Kappa statistics ranged from a high of k=0.80 for the sitting item to a low of k=0.49 for the traveling item. Kappa statistics were not available for three items. The Chinese version of the Oswestry Disability Index demonstrated satisfactory validity and test-retest reliability, and so could be considered as an appropriate instrument for assessing chronic back pain-related disability in Chinese patients in Hong Kong. Further research should address the cross-cultural and measurement issues in regard to sex life in order to further improve the test content of the instrument.     

Explaining Official Delinquency: a Spatial Study of Class,Conflict and Control*

The correlation between social class and official delinquency is one of the more stable findings of sociological research. Consensus, conflict and organizational explanations of this correlation are examined with a coordinated set of survey, interview, and official data gathered in the central area of a middle-sized Canadian city. These data make possible the consideration of behavior and official rate-producing processes in a model that lends support to a combination of conflict and organizational perspectives. Consideration is given to the need for additional research using a similar frame-work in other types of community settings.     

社会学视野下的单亲家庭

随着人们家庭婚姻观念的转变,离婚率的迅速上升,单亲家庭也日益增多。在社会学的视野下,单亲家庭作为一种特殊的家庭形式,它的出现在一定程度上是社会文化发展的必然。但是因为社会法律制度和意识形态的滞后性,从福利到舆论,社会都没有为单亲家庭提供和完整家庭一样的待遇,以致给子女、父母以及社会都带来了各种严重的社会问题。     

《天雨花》塑造的婢妾形象及作者矛盾的女性观

清代作家陶贞怀在其创作的《天雨花》中塑造了大量婢妾形象。对这些婢妾作者始终持有一种摇摆不定的态度,一方面对她们违背封建纲常的行为进行大肆批判,一方面在字里行间又流露出对她们所经历的悲惨遭遇的深切同情。作者对待这些婢妾的矛盾态度,可以作出两种解读：一种是阶级立场使然,作者对下层女性的悲惨遭遇无法感同身受;另一种解读是通过对婢妾深重灾难的客观直白描写,以期引起社会对下层女性命运的关注。这是作者独具匠心的创作手法。     

良治型政府理論與澳門經濟發展

本文從有關良治型政府理論及主要觀點的角度,探討良治型政府理論在澳門的實踐,以及在CEPA框架下澳門政府扮演的經濟角色與可能存在的風險。本文認為應該從增強澳門經濟多元性以及改善制度建設來完善澳門經濟政策。     

赫胥黎在近代科学教育普及和发展中的作用

赫胥黎的科学教育思想引领了英国皇家矿业学院的发展,推动了实验室教学的普及,奠定了科学在学校教育体系中的合法地位,促进了科学教育重心的转移,在一定程度上协调了科学教育和自由教育的关系,深刻影响了19世纪中期以后英国乃至欧美其他国家教育的改革和发展,对于我们当今的科学教育工作仍具有十分重要的启示和借鉴意义。