Determinants on the Quality of Social Networks Among Hong Kong Chinese

ABSTRACT

The aim of the present study is to examine prospectively the quality of social networks of Hong Kong Chinese adults. A randomized household survey was employed. A total of 1170 Hong Kong Chinese respondents were recruited to the study. Participants ranged in age from 18 to 79 years, 43% of respondents were male. Findings revealed a negative association between familial trust and social network size. Network trust, social identification, and structural networks were all found to be positively associated with social network size and perceived respect from social network. The importance of family and the prioritization of the needs of the family over individual needs has implications on social network size and formation for Hong Kong Chinese individuals. More research is needed to further examine the importance of familial relationships and the prioritization of family and the impact this has on social network development and maintenance among Hong Kong Chinese.

Keywords:

• Chinese
• Hong Kong
• social identification
• social networks
• social participation

Notes

¹Traditional Chinese and Simplified Chinese are two standard sets of Chinese characters of the contemporary written form of the Chinese language. While Traditional Chinese is used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau, Simplified Chinese is officially used in Mainland China, Singapore and Malaysia.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Tina L. Rochelle

Tina L. Rochelle is Assistant Professor in the Department of Applied Social Sciences at City University of Hong Kong. Tina is a Chartered Health Psychologist and an Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society. Her research interests include health and social behavior, healthcare utilization, the influence of culture and values on health and behavior, psychological impact of chronic illness, and the influence of masculinity on health and social behavior.

O. F. Chan

O.F. Chan is a research assistant at the Sau Po Centre on Ageing at the University of Hong Kong. He is currently studying for a PhD.