Ying Keung Chan

Density, Crowding, and Factors Intervening in Their Relationship: Evidence from a Hyper-dense Metropolis

This paper, using survey data from 414 urban residents in Hong Kong, examines the effects of space, achieved privacy and satisfaction with living quarters on the perception of crowding. The results of this study suggest that occupants of spatial constrained dwellings do not necessarily feel crowded. While achieved privacy intervenes in the relationship between space and crowding, its effect is indirect and very moderate. Instead, the dissatisfaction with physical environment rather than with a quantity of space itself is a major cause of the feeling of crowdedness. These findings imply that architectural designs that meet the expectation of occupants may well alleviate feelings of crowdedness in situations of spatial constraint.

Quality-of-life research in Chinese, Western and global contexts

Quality of Life in the Global Context: A Chinese Response.- Arts and the Quality of Life: An Exploratory Study.- Apparent Quality-of-Life in Nations: How Long and Happy People Live.- Global Quality of Life (QOL), Health and Ability Are Primarily Determined by Our Consciousness. Research Findings from Denmark 1991-2004.- Participatory Partnerships: Engaging and Empowering to Enhance Environmental Management and Quality of Life?.- Marketing and Quality of Life: A Model for Improving Perinatal Health Status.- Quality of Life in Hong Kong: Past Accomplishments and Future Prospects.- The Pre- and Post-1997 Well-Being of Hong Kong Residents.- Quality of Life in Hong Kong: The CUHK Hong Kong Quality of Life Index.- Quality of Life in Older Adults: Benefits from Caring Services in Hong Kong.- An Exploratory Study on the Quality of Life of Older Chinese People Living Alone in Hong Kong.- Economic Stress, Emotional Quality of Life, and Problem Behavior in Chinese Adolescents with and without Economic Disadvantage.- A Longitudinal Study of Chinese Cultural Beliefs about Adversity, Psychological Well-Being, Delinquency and Substance Abuse in Chinese Adolescents with Economic Disadvantage.- The Quality of Life of Hong Kongs Poor Households in the 1990s: Levels of Expenditure, Income Security and Poverty.- Quality of Life Perceptions and Directions for Urban Regeneration in Hong Kong.- Subjective Residential Environment and Its Implications for Quality of Life Among University Students in Hong Kong.- Do Demographic Characteristics Make a Difference to Burnout Among Hong Kong Secondary School Teachers?.- Relations between Social Problem Solving and Indicators of Interpersonal and Family Well-Being Among Chinese Adolescents in Hong Kong.

Quality of Life in Hong Kong: The CUHK Hong Kong Quality of Life Index

The CUHK Hong Kong Quality of Life Index, which aims to assess and monitor the quality of life in Hong Kong, is a composite index incorporating both objective and subjective measures. This index, developed by the Faculty of Social Science of The Chinese University of Hong Kong, employs data collected in representative sample surveys and official statistics. A wide range of life domains is covered and the year 2002 is taken as the base year of the study. Index scores demonstrate that in general the quality of life in Hong Kong has improved slightly in 2003; scores of the composite index and the three sub-indices on sectorial performance are somewhat higher than those of the previous year. It is noteworthy that Hong Kong has made noticeable progress and performs as well as many economically advanced societies in certain life domains; yet, the well-being of the people relies on further improvement in others.

A resilience perspective on family adjustment to cross‐border work arrangements of Hong Kong residents

With the close economic relationship between Hong Kong and the Mainland, cross‐border commutes for work have become an increasingly common work‐family arrangement for Hong Kong residents. Due to the special social context of Mainland China, the impact of the cross‐border work arrangement is mostly understood in terms of the cost or its negative impact on the families involved. However, this overlooks positive adjustment and its protective factors, which are present in many families. A clear conceptual framework is also lacking in previous studies. The different perspectives on work‐related mobility and family adjustment are reviewed. The resiliency perspective helps to provide a more inclusive understanding of the phenomenon. Based on the findings of in‐depth interviews with 20 families, this paper discusses the protective factors of family adjustment in relation to the cross‐border arrangements of Hong Kong residents. 随着香港与内地密切经济关系的建立，跨境工作已成为一种越来越常见于香港居民的工作与家庭安排。由于中国大陆特殊的社会环境，多数对跨境工作的理解都集中于这种工作安排对家庭的负面影响而忽略了其积极的调整和保护因素。同时，以往的研究也往往缺乏清晰的概念框架。本文回顾了不同角度讨论与就业相关的人口流动和家庭适应的研究，希望有助于提供一个更全面的理解。本文根据与二十个家庭深度访谈的结果，讨论了家庭适应的保护因素与香港居民跨境工作安排的关系。

Commuting assignments in mainland China: cost and benefits of cross‐border work arrangements

With the close economic relationship between Hong Kong and the Mainland, work‐related commuting across the border is emerging as a common work/family arrangement in Hong Kong. To examine the costs and benefits of this at the individual and family levels, a cross‐sectional survey with quota sampling was conducted. The target group of the survey was couples with one spouse working across the border and their children between the ages of 8–17, if there were any. A resilience perspective was adopted to address both the positive and negative impacts of the work arrangement on family relationships. Findings of the survey indicate that disruption in the fulfillment of parental obligations is the most significant cost of the cross border work arrangement. Fathers are more likely to be marginalized in their parental role due to their higher frequency of travel and limited contacts with the children. For mothers with children at dependent age, limitations in parental involvement due to the work arrangement bring a strong sense of guilt. Work‐family conflict significantly intensified their intention to end the cross‐border work. On the other hand, the results indicate that commuting assignments can be stimulating and enriching to a marriage. To maximize the benefits of the cross‐border work arrangement and minimize its negative impacts, family‐friendly work policies and a family‐friendly work schedule are strongly recommended. Successful coping strategies and the necessary resources for the successful adjustment should be further examined. 随着香港与内地密切的经济关系，与跨境工作有关的工作/家庭安排正成为一个在香港常见的现象。为了研究这种安排在个人和家庭层面上的成本效益，作者进行了一个具有代表性的配额抽样调查。调查的对象是其中一方需跨境工作的夫妇；以及如他们有子女的话，子女的年龄必须介乎8至17岁之间。本研究同时处理跨境工作安排对家庭关系的正面和负面影响。 调查结果发现，未能履行父母的义务是跨境工作安排最大的成本。由于频密的跨境工干和跟子女的接触有限，父亲更容易被排斥于其父亲的角色以外。由于跨境工作的安排以致未能与仍然是依赖年龄的子女有更多的联系，也为母亲带来强烈的罪疚感。工作与家庭的冲突大大增加了他们结束跨境工作的意愿。另一方面，研究发现这种工作安排可以刺激和丰富婚姻。为了发挥跨境工作安排最大的好处，并尽量减少其负面影响，作者强烈建议有利雇员发展家庭生活的工作安排。有效的的应对战略和所须的资源则需要进一步的研究。