A study on how the participation in social volunteer work influences women in Hong Kong in self-recognition
1.0 Aims of the research study
The working title of this research is initially drafted as – A study on how the participation in social volunteer work influences women in Hong Kong in self-recognition. The key question that this study will seek to answer is: How does the involvement in voluntary social work influence Hong Kong women’s self-recognition? The hypotheses are:
1) Hong Kong women participate in social volunteer work because it enhances their personality.
2) Hong Kong women participate in social volunteer work because it impacts their positive outlook in life.
3) Hong Kong women participate in social volunteer work because it develops their self-discovery.
The main aim of this study is to explore the changes in self-recognition through participating in voluntary works. Specifically, the research will seek to determine the influences of the social volunteer work experience on femininity and extended role of women in Hong Kong community.
This study will be a significant endeavor in establishing the positive influences of social volunteering and other unpaid activities on how people perceive life in general. This study will be helpful for women, social organisations, volunteer councils, the HKCSS, Hong Kong government and policymakers to distinguish the importance of the role women played in voluntary works and protect their interests of self-development through social-related endeavours. Based on the findings of this research, interests on social works could be sustained and decision makers will be provided with guidelines/recommendations in optimising volunteerism plans that could effectively maximise the quality of social works in Hong Kong. The study is also important as it can relate the factors affecting the likelihood of success of voluntary works especially if people could understand the genuine benefits that will come from this and how it could likely to further develop their perceptions about themselves. This study is expected to have profound implications for addressing the special needs of those involved in social volunteer works. Moreover, this study will be an important contribution to a body of research concerning voluntary social work and its influences.
This is of particular relevance to me as after the completion of the course, I anticipate assuming a role within the social welfare industry in Hong Kong hence broaden my horizon of what is currently happening. It will be my job to maximise the amount of literatures regarding social welfare for my own and posterity’s advantage. This research, whilst fulfilling the requirements of the University, will be of great benefit to my career and my future organisation. It is of my best belief that addressing the needs of the industry and hopefully resulting in various improvements will help me maintain high levels of motivation for this project throughout the course of the research.
2.0 Context and literature review
2.1 Self-recognition
Self-recognition could be described in three ways: perceived personality, self-interest, and complete personality. Perceived personality refers to somebody’s personality or an aspect of somebody’s personality, especially as perceived by others. Self-recognition is also a complete and individual personality when one that somebody recognises as his or her own and when there is a sense of ease. As self-interest, it is somebody’s own individual interests and welfare particularly when placed before those of other people. Meyers (1994) relate that self-recognition involves both the cultivation of one’s moral identity and enactment of one’s moral identity. Combined, these activities implicate how an individual empathise with others (p. 121).
Meyers (1994) also noted that in self-recognition, an individual seeks to understand individuality through validating feelings and actions when it is appropriate to do so. Self-recognition is the self-directed care which consolidates independent subjectivity. In an oppressive social environment, self-recognition is being suppressed. As such, self-recognition has an inherent moral component wherein in order to receive recognition, one must recognise the other and to recognise the other, one must recognise oneself. Self-recognition, in effect, involves endorsement of sound values, development of one’s moral capacities and living up to one’s ideals. This is moral self-recognition which sustains interpersonal connection (pp. 128-132).
2.2 Self-recognition of women
For women, self-recognition is significant particularly when doing the right thing and making a difference. Doing something important mainly increases positive self-recognition among women, as according to Munhall (1994, pp. 172-173). Self-recognition is important specifically in the way women view themselves and personal outlooks. Positive remarks are important for women to know that they are indeed making a difference in their life and in the life of others as part of the recognition of their own importance. Regardless of the problems and situations women faced, personal reactions to own and various situations directly relates to elements of self-recognition. Women’s social and personal identity is triggered by self-recognition or self-discovery as a process of becoming whereby the self recognises itself in the otherness of objects (Taylor, 1994, p. 54).
2.3 Women and social work
Women accepted various roles as a practical strategy including voluntary social works. Viewed as women empowerment, voluntary social works is an effective way of preserving nurturing qualities and community involvement among women. The spread of the idea of voluntary social working to women of all socioeconomic backgrounds provides satisfaction and fulfillment (Kessler-Harris, 1981, p. 131). This is because, as Gardner (2001) puts it, social working develop the capacity to reflect and develop awareness of own attitudes and values. Indeed, voluntary social working works two-fold: women became aware of their significance in the process while also providing significance of the work to others. Deeper and more connection to the practice embeds on reflection which could enable women to tap on their ability to connect acquired experiences with personal meaning or past experiences.
2.4 Social work in Hong Kong
In the 1960s, various voluntary agencies had pioneered different kinds of service initiatives in Hong Kong, shaping and serving as a good foundation for the social welfare development in the region. Such agencies worked towards the development of diversified welfare services to meet the social needs. There are four strategic objectives of social welfare in Hong Kong. First is the development of human capital. People empowerment through improving skills, personal attitudes and motivations is a priority. This was seen as a way to connects individuals to communities, and enables them to contribute to the economic and social development of the society. Second is maximising opportunities for reliance. Economic and social participation by individuals, families and the communities are highly encouraged as it can prevent social exclusion. Third is strengthening family solidarity. As it preserves and strengthens families, individual families’ capacity to develop resilience to meet changes is being developed. Fourth is building community cohesiveness. Social services aimed at cultivating an inclusive and non-discriminative environment and positive social relationship, trust and participation that enhance social harmony and solidarity (Hong Kong Council of Social Service).
2.5 How Hong Kong women contributes in social work
In Hong Kong, women contribute significantly through participating in social-related activities particularly voluntary work and other unpaid activities. A survey conducted in 2001 reveals a multifaceted role of women especially that of homemakers. According to Mrs. Sophie Leung Lau Yau-fan, then Women’s Commission Chairperson, states that: [the Commission] is ware that both women and men have been contributing to the community through their paid and unpaid activities, and that some members of the community, especially women, are experiencing barriers that hinder them from participating fully in the community.”
The survey discovered that on average economically active women spent about 3.3 hours a day on unpaid activities including home caring work, voluntary work and other unpaid activities for relatives and friends. Further, in terms of average time spent, homemakers spent 6.8 hours a day on voluntary work and other unpaid activities aside from care-giving for household members, household work, purchasing goods and services for own household. More women are also engaged in voluntary work wherein 63% of all persons aged 15 and over had carried out voluntary work during the twelve months before the survey. However, because of voluntary work, they have not much free time for themselves. These women had negligible time for education and training, and were less inclined to engage in other activities, such as cultural or recreational activities. The survey confirmed, however, that women are valuable resources of the community and women played a greater role in building social network and social capital within their community.
3.0 Methodology
3.1 Sources of data
Initially, the sources of data will come from the household survey and the focus group interview to be conducted. The objective of the household survey is to determine who among the local residents are involved in voluntary social works. Survey will include demographic questions and questions relating to voluntary social work experience. Through these questions, I could address the way the process of social volunteer works affects the self-recognition of women. Housewives/homemakers are the target of this study. It is planned that target participants whom can be reached from my place of work which is a community centre will be included. Since I am planning to include housewives of diverse socioeconomic backgrounds, the inclusion criterion is that they have already involved in different volunteer groups for the last twelve months.
This means that among the surveyed housewives participants for the focus group interview will be lifted. Informed sampling, or the process of choosing samples on the basis of specific considerations including different age groups, some of them may come from well off family, some of them with no children, and some of them with their children who are still going to schools and some of them with their children who are already adults and working, will be used. In this way, I can evaluate the extent of the impact of social voluntary work on their self-recognition despite the fact that they come from diverse backgrounds. The focus group interview will involve at least 10 participants. The respondents will be contacted through the personal information they will provide in the demographic items in the questionnaires. An attached interview consent form will be provided while answering the survey (an example is provided in the Appendix section).
3.2 Data collection
The research will utilise both primary and secondary research. In primary research, the study will use a structured survey questionnaire and focus group interview schedule as instruments. Questions on both instruments will relate on the social voluntary work experiences of the target participants of different backgrounds. Examples of the questions to be asked in the focus group interview are: 1) Prior to joining social voluntary works, how do you see yourself? 2) How do social voluntary works change your perception about yourself? 3) How do social voluntary works help in the further development of your self-identity? 4) How do you perceive the beauty and self-related benefits of social voluntary works? 5) Do you see yourself as a functional member of the society compared before when you are not yet involved in voluntary works?
Aside from survey and interview, a secondary research will also be conducted in the study. Sources in secondary research will include previous research reports and journal content and statistics. Sometimes, secondary research is required in the preliminary stages of the study to determine what is known already and what new data are required, or to inform research design. In this paper, existing findings on journals and existing knowledge on books will be used as secondary research.
3.3 Practical and ethical considerations
The project will abide by the regulations applied in conducting researches. This means that ethics approval will be sought for all questionnaires and interview questions, and that the relevant documentation is completed by participants of focus group interview. . For this research, I will work hand in hand with my supervisor specifically in drafting and modifying survey and interview questions. The research will include primary data and will include personal information on housewives/homemakers. The respondents of the survey will be able to choose whether to identify them or stay anonymous. Before doing interviews, I will check them with my supervisor. I will ensure that the data will be kept confidentially. Before getting interviews recorded, I will ensure if it is acceptable by person to be interviewed. I will establish with the data providers the use of my data and will ask their permission in case of publishing data.
3.4 Reflections
A qualitative study to investigate how partaking in social voluntary works influence the self-recognition among women, this study might provide new results that can be further explored in future studies. This type of study will allow seeing the importance of the contribution of women in social development in Hong Kong and address their special needs when performing their social role. However, like any other study, this research also has various limitations that may affect the credibility of its results. One of the limitations is that data will only be acquired through survey and interviews. Surveys are limited only to abrupt responses and while during interviews, the amount of information to be closed lies in the decision0making of participants. Participation then may also be a limitation of this study as there may be some who will not be willing to participate or who may participate half-heartedly.
A pre-test of the survey questions will also be conducted so that errors can be spotted and they can be modified immediately to suit the study better. A pre-test of the questionnaires will be conducted to 3 samples so as to validate if its contents are okay and can actually answer the research questions of the study. If ever the questionnaire is not suitable as the pre-analysis show, it will be immediately modified. The suggestions of the 4 pre-test samples will also be considered in the modification. The pre-test samples will not be included in the actual set of respondents. Same goes with the focus group interview questions, pre-testing and modification will be a priority.
I want to place myself in the position wherein I could provide new orders of thinking applicable to incumbent and posterity. Limitations inherent in this kind of research would include susceptibility from the researcher’s subjectivities in the context of the research study. I would tend to think that social voluntary works changes the lives of the persons involved in great ways. Further, the research does not intend to interpret phenomena but only those that are affecting the social voluntary works and how it relates to women’s self-recognition.
3.5 Timeframe
TASK
Weeks
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
9th
10th
11th
12th
Read Literature
Finalize Objectives
Draft Literature Review
Devise Research Approach
Review Secondary Data
Organize Survey
Develop Survey Questions
Conduct Survey
Organize Interviews
Develop Interview questions
Conduct Interviews
Analyze secondary & primary data
Evaluate data
Draft Findings Chapter
Complete remaining chapters
Submit to tutor and await feedback
Revise draft and format for submission
Print, Bind
Submit
(2, 468 words)
Appendix
Interview Consent Form
Title of Research __________________________________________
1. I agree to be interviewed for the purposes of the student research named above.
2. The purpose and nature of the interview has been explained to me, and I have read the assignment and/or information sheet as provided by the student.
3. I agree that the interview may be electronically recorded.
4. Any questions that I asked about the purpose and nature of the interview and research have been answered to my satisfaction.
5. Choose a), b) or c):
a) I agree that my name may be used for the purposes of the research only and not for publication.
OR
b) I understand that the student may wish to pursue publication at a later date and my name may be used.
OR
c) I do not wish my name to be used or cited, or my identity otherwise disclosed, in the research.
Name of interviewee_______________________________________
Signature of interviewee____________________________________
Date______________________
6. I have explained the project and the implications of being interviewed to the interviewee and I believe that the consent is informed and that he/she understands the implications of participation.
Name of interviewer________________________________________
Signature of interviewer_____________________________________
Date_____________________
References
Gardner, F 2001, ‘Social Work and Self-awareness: how does it happen?’ Reflective Practice, vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 27-40.
Kessler-Harris, A 1981, Women Have Always Worked: A Historical Overview, Feminist Press.
Meyers, D T 1994, Subjection and subjectivity: psychoanalytic feminism and moral philosophy, Routledge, London.
Mission of Social Welfare in Hong Kong, Hong Kong Council of Social Service (HKCSS), retrieved on 20 March 2009, from http://www.hkcss.org.hk/download/folder/socialwelfare/sw_eng.doc.
Munhall, P L 1994, In Women’s Experience, Jones and Bartlett Publishers.
Taylor, C, 1994, ‘The politics of recognition’, in C Taylor and Gutmann, A, eds, Multiculturalism and the politics of recognition, pp. 25-73, Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey.
Thematic Household Survey Report No. 14 2001, Census and Statistics Department, Publications Unit of the Census and Statistics Department, retrieved on 20 March 2009, from http://www.women.gov.hk/download/press_release_on_time_use_survey_e.pdf.
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