Project Title: Youth Identity Status and its Psychosocial Correlates: A Longitudinal Study in Hong Kong
Institutional Development Scheme (IDS) Collaborative Research Grant (CRG), funded by Research Grants Council
Amount of Grant: $3,465,000
Project Coordinator (PC):
Professor CHEUNG Yuet Wah
Distinguished Professor, Department of Sociology, HKSYU
(link to CV)
Co-PIs:
Dr. CHEUNG Wai Leung Raysen
Associate Professor, Department of Counselling and Psychology, HKSYU
(link to CV)
Dr. CHUI Chi Fai Raymond
Associate Professor, Department of Social Work, HKSYU
(link to CV)
Dr. LI Wang On Alex
Associate Professor, Department of Counselling and Psychology, HKSYU
(link to CV)
Dr. PENG Zheng Min Kelly
Associate Professor, Department of Business Administration, HKSYU
(link to CV)
Dr. LI Hang
Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, HKSYU
(link to CV)
Research Assistants:
Mr. Cheung Siu Fung, Marco & Mr. Xu Naizan, Joshua
Duration: January 2020 – December 2023
Description:
This study aims to explore the “identity status” of the youth and the psychosocial factors influencing it in Hong Kong. Youth identity status concerns the condition of an identity (e.g., completeness, stability) and its formation process in young people. Research findings in the West have found that youth identity status affects the attitude and behaviour of young people. In Hong Kong, very few studies have examined the identity status of young people and its effects on their psychosocial functioning. Youth identity status is examined with regard to the work by Erickson and Marcia since the 1960s, and the latest modification of Marcia’s scale by Luyckx and colleagues in 2008 will be used. Psychosocial factors are drawn from youth’s several major domains of life, including “prosocial behaviour and civic engagement”, “deviant behaviour”, “use of social media”, and “career uncertainty”, and they are expected to affect youth identity status, as well as be affected by it. Two student samples (N=2,000 each) will be drawn from secondary schools and universities and tertiary institutions, respectively. A longitudinal research design will be adopted, involving four waves of data collection, spaced out by three six-month intervals. Findings of the study will help us understand how the process of youth identity formation may affect their attitude and behaviour in the life domains, and hence will have impacts on youth policy.
Associate Head and Associate Professor, Department of Sociology, HKSYU
(link to CV)
Research Assistant:
Mr. Chim Kam Pui, Kenneth
The aim of this research is to explore how ethnic minority cancer patients and their caregivers cope with their illness in Hong Kong. It also aims to analyse the role of informal social networks, i.e., inner network, outer network and outer circle (Abel et al., 2013), as well as religion and faith in the treatment processes. The core questions of this research are: are cancer treatment services in Hong Kong culturally competent, and to what extent do they cater to the needs of ethnic minority patients? What do ethnic minority cancer patients and their caregivers need, and what are the effective ways to address their needs? In what ways does informal social network and religion and faith play a role in the process of fighting cancer?
Qualitative in-depth interviews will be used in this research. A total of 70 interviews with various subjects will be conducted: 60 South Asian/ non-Chinese cancer patients, major caregivers and cancer survivors; and ten medical practitioners including oncologists, medical social workers, and medical staff of self-help groups in public hospitals.