Why Do Women Want Children? The Case of Hong Kong,China: A Lowest-Low Fertility Context

ABSTRACT

Governments in low fertility countries tend to tackle low birth rates by addressing macro-level factors rather than the meaning that having a child holds for men and women. Yet whether or not an individual decides to have a child depends in part on what they think having a child will mean for their lives. This study examines the meanings that constitute reasons for wanting a child among a sample of middle-class, married, Hong Kong Chinese women who wanted children. These women were living in Hong Kong when it had one of the lowest total fertility rates in the world and the lowest in its history. Using semi-structured, in-depth interviews, it finds that for these women, to have a child makes one’s family complete; is the next stage of life; provides happiness, fun, and enjoyment; brings care and company in old age; and children are “lovely” and “cute.” Governments concerned about low birth rates can use research on what having a child means for women to improve policy so as to make having a child more attractive, and to create messages that hold greater appeal to women.     

AN ALTERNATIVE METACRITIQUE OF POSTCOLONIAL CULTURAL STUDIES FROM A CULTURAL SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE

This paper examines some of the current metacritical perspectives to postcolonial cultural studies, and discusses an alternative cultural contextualist perspective through the case of Hong Kong cultural studies. I first demarcate between contextualist and non-contextualist metacritical perspectives as well as between political-economic and cultural-contextualist ones. Then I identify major metacritiques that are currently made against postcolonial studies, and by showing how they may be applicable to Hong Kong cultural studies, I suggest ways to re-interpret these metacritiques from a cultural sociological perspective. I shall highlight important structural characteristics of Hong Kong cultural studies, and analyse them in terms of a cultural sociology of the postcolonial intellectual field. Ultimately, I argue that the problems associated with this postcolonial intellectual field appear to originate from the hierarchical global cultural context.     

Conditions for migrant mothers' socioeconomic disadvantages in Hong Kong

The present study utilizes both survey and interview data to examine the socioeconomic disadvantages in terms of limited social support, poverty, and non-employment in migrant mothers in Hong Kong, China. It seeks to understand the disadvantages from a social distance perspective, which holds that social distance hinders access to employment, and social and formal support. This article surveyed 837 mothers living in two impoverished communities. A subsample of 72 migrant mothers participated in follow-up in-depth interviews. Findings indicate the socioeconomic disadvantages and reveal some local conditions for the disadvantages. Specifically, the norms of childcare and self-reliance, social stigmatization of welfare recipients, and remote residential community come to shape migrant mothers' experiences of caring for young children. These findings provide implications to social work practitioners for targeting migrant mothers to reduce their social distance from local community resources.     

On Becoming a Stepparent

Data derived from a qualitative study with 32 remar- ried couples (N = 64), were analyzed to assess factors related to the adoption of alternative stepparenting styles. Five stepparent styles were found: the biological parent, the "super good" stepmother, the detached, the uncertain, and the friendship style. The choice of styles was influenced bv the various expectations and behaviors of the step- parent, stepchild,-spouse, and nonresidential parent. Implications fbr familv education and counseling approaches with stepfamilies are discuked.     

The effects of environmental stressors on the mortality of the oldest old male population in Hong Kong, 1977–2006

Although age–sex-specific mortality rates were decreasing over the years, such a trend was not observed for the male population aged 85 or above (the oldest old) in Hong Kong. Despite literature suggesting that environmental stressors were associated with higher mortality, the adverse effects of socioeconomic and political events were seldom included. Hence, this study explored the relationship between environmental stressors covering adverse weather conditions as well as key socioeconomic and political events and fluctuations in the oldest old mortality rates in Hong Kong during the period 1977 to 2006. The oldest old mortality rates in Hong Kong were observed to have a likelihood of being associated with these environmental stressors. Furthermore, men appeared to be more susceptible to these risk factors than did women. More care and attention should be given to the oldest old men, in particular, during periods of socioeconomic or political upheavals. A cohort study would be useful to study these stressors in greater detail.     

Examining the impact of news attention and education on political tolerance in Hong Kong

This study examines the interrelationships amongst and between news attention, education, and political tolerance. Based on the theoretical presumption that the mainstream news media tend to reflect the prejudices and ideologies of the dominant groups in a society, news portrayal of groups regarded as deviant and/or controversial can be expected to be negative in valence. Hence, news attention is expected to lead to more negative attitudes toward such groups, which in turn breeds intolerance toward them. Meanwhile, education may moderate the relationship between news attention and tolerance. Research questions and hypotheses are examined through analyzing the data from a representative survey conducted in Hong Kong. The findings confirm the negative, indirect effect of news attention on tolerance through attitude toward deviant groups. Education is also found to relate to tolerance in a complicated and contradictory manner: while education has a direct positive effect on tolerance, it also strengthens the negative impact that attitude toward deviant groups has on tolerance. The theoretical and social implications of the findings are discussed.     

井上红梅误读《孔乙己》的现象分析——兼论译者在翻译中的作用

《孔乙己》是鲁迅先生短篇小说的代表作之一,也是最早译为日文的鲁迅作品,日本多位知名译者皆曾翻译过这部小说。文章选取井上红梅的译本,将其与原著详细核对,发现井上多处误读原著,导致译本出现误译漏译等问题。文章以井上译本为例,通过分析这些误读现象,探讨译者在翻译中的作用。译者既是文化的传播者,又是翻译尺度的掌控者,译者在翻译过程中既要忠实地传达出作品的风格与意义,又不能过度诠释,将译者自己意志强加读者,只有把握好翻译的尺度,才能避免失误,保证翻译质量。     

萧红散文的“越轨”叙事

萧红小说具有诗化、散文化特征已是研究界公认的结论,其散文的"小说化"却少有人论及。本文以叙事学理论方法,从散文叙述的时间性、人物形象刻画和叙述人称三方面,重点分析了萧红散文的代表作,阐述了鲁迅对萧红创作"越轨的笔致"评价中所包含的"文体无意识"内涵,指出应避免因文类划分而割裂对萧红创作风格的整体探究。     

20世纪前期香港葡人的族群认同

第一次鸦片战争之后,许多澳门葡人移居香港,在特定的历史条件和环境下,形成了颇具特色的香港葡人群体。他们大体在某些区域内聚族而居,在群体内开展各种文化活动。到了20世纪前期,香港葡人群体中的精英分子,还积极参与了香港的政治生活,为其族群争取权益;尤其是徐萨斯和罢辣架父子的澳门史研究,对香港葡人的族群认同产生了重要影响。     

清代广州行商倪秉发事迹

文章通过对达成行商人倪秉发进行对外贸易的一些事例,对清代乾隆、嘉庆年间广州口岸的外贸状况进行探讨,说明在新的贸易方式和旧的管理体制下,弱小的行商努力再三,也只有以破产而告终。