Benchmark Study on Civic Engagement and Social Networks of Youth in Hong Kong

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• Benchmark Study on Civic Engagement and Social
  Networks of Youth in Hong Kong
• www.info.gov.hk/coy

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Content of Presentation

• Concept of social capital
• Methodology
• Conceptual framework
• Survey enumeration results
• Civic engagement and social networks
• Network qualities
• Network structure
• Network transactions
• Related factors
• Use of community services
• Participation in employment/training programmes
• Family functioning
• Social support network
• Mental health status
• Analysis by age
• Causes and consequences of social capital
• Social capital indicators

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Concept of social capital

• An attribute of individuals and communities
• Two main elements
• Social structures (e.g. structures within family,
  community or nation)
• Actions between people with social structures,
  based on trust and expectation of reciprocal
  treatments
• Represents ties and cohesive force between
• Family members
• Members of the same community
• Members from different communities

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Operational definitions of social capital

• Organization for Economic Co-operation and
  Development (OECD)
• Networks together with shared norms, values and
  understanding that facilitate co-operation within
  and among groups
• Australia 3 dimensions
• Network qualities
• Network structure
• Network transactions
• World Bank 3 categories of indicators
• Cognitive social capital
• Structural social capital
• Outcomes of social capital
• Framework adopted in present study
• 8 components of civic engagement and social
  networks
• 3 dimensions
• 3 categories

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Social capital
Network structure
Network qualities
Network transactions
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Social Capital of Youth
Network transactions
Network qualities
Network structure
Conventional politics
Social trust
Associational involvement
Civic rallies
Diversity of friendship
Giving and volunteering
Informal socializing
Faith-based engagement
Cognitive Social capital
Structural Social capital
Social capital outcomes
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Employment training
Community services
Family functioning
Network structure
Network qualities
Network transactions
8
Employment training
Community services
Family functioning
Network structure
Network qualities
Network transactions
Mental health status
Social support network
9
Employment training
Community services
Family functioning
Network structure
Network qualities
Network transactions
Mental health status
Social support network
At school
At work
Not-at-school Not-at-work
10
Employment training
Community services
Factors affecting Social capital
Family functioning
Network structure
Network qualities
Network transactions
Social capital
Mental health status
Social support network
Personal well-being
Economic well-being
At school
At work
Not-at-school Not-at-work
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Survey enumeration results
(Survey conducted between Sept 04 and Mar 05)
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Index of social trust by economic activity status
13
Index of social trust by economic activity status
14
Associational involvement participation by
economic activity status
15
Index on diversity of friendship by economic
activity status
16
Informal socializing social activities with
friends, classmates and colleagues in past 12
months by economic activity status
17
Conventional politics registered as voters
(18-24 age group) by economic activity status
18
Civic rallies participation in past 12 months
by economic activity status
19
Giving and volunteering participation by
economic activity status
20
Giving and volunteering index on attitude
towards volunteering by economic activity status
21
Faith-based engagement with religious belief
by economic activity status
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Faith-based engagement distribution by extent
of devotion by economic activity status
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Social capital of youth observations

• Social trust
• Quite high 4.8 in a scale of 7 Trust in
  people, higher 5.1Trust in institutions, lower
  4.6
• Associational involvement
• Low, 33 participation in civic associations
• Diversity of friendship
• Quite high 5.3 in a scale of 7
• Informal socializing
• High 78 weekly social activities in past 12
  months
• Conventional politics
• Average 50 of those aged 18-24 registered as
  voters
• Civic rallies
• Very low 16 participated in past 12 months
• Giving and volunteering
• High attitude, 5.1 in a scale of 7
• Average 48 participation in volunteer work
• Average 59 donations in past 12 months
• Faith-based engagement
• Low 25

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Use of community services participation by
economic activity status
25
Employment and training programmes
participation by economic activity status
26
Index on availability of help from friends by
economic activity status
27
Index on rendering of help to friends/neighbours
by economic activity status
28
Index on family relationship by economic
activity status
29
Index on parent-child relationship by economic
activity status
30
Index on mental health by economic activity status
31
Index on self-esteem by economic activity status
32
Index on perception in life by economic activity
status
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Social Support Network Personal well-being
observations

• Availability of help
• High 5.3 in a scale of 7
• Rendering of help
• Low 2.0 in a scale of 5
• Family relationship/parent-child relationship
• High 3.8 in a scale of 5
• Mental health
• High 3.2 in a scale of 4
• Perception in life
• Average 3.5 in a scale of 6
• Self-esteem
• High 3.0 in a scale of 4

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Analysis by age Index of trust in people
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Analysis by age Index of trust in institutions
36
Analysis by age Index of diversity of friendship
37
Analysis by age Index of attitude towards
volunteering
38
Analysis by age Index of availability of help
39
Analysis by age Index of rendering of help
40
Analysis by age Index of mental health
41
Analysis by age Index of perception of life
42
Analysis by age Index of self-esteem
43
Analysis by age Index of family relationship
44
Analysis by age Index of parent-child
relationship
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Analysis by age observations

• Increases with age
• Diversity of friendship
• Rendering of help
• Decreases with age
• Trust in people
• Trust in institutions
• Attitude towards volunteering
• Perception of life
• Double-dip pattern (1st dip around 17-19 2nd
  dip around 21 23)
• Trust in people
• Trust in institutions
• Attitude towards volunteering
• Availability of help
• Mental health
• Self-esteem
• Family relationship
• Parent-child relationship

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Employment training
Community services
Family functioning
Network structure
Network qualities
Network transactions
Mental health status
Social support network
At school
At work
Not-at-school Not-at-work
47
Employment training
Community services
Family functioning
Associational involvement
Social trust
Attitude towards volunteering
Mental health
Social support network
Self-esteem
At school
At work
Not-at-school Not-at-work
48
Employment training
Community services
Family functioning
Associational involvement
Social trust
Attitude towards volunteering
Mental health
Social support network
Self-esteem
At school
At work
Not-at-school Not-at-work
49
Employment training
Community services
Family functioning
Associational involvement
Social trust
Attitude towards volunteering
Mental health
Social support network
Self-esteem
At school
At work
Not-at-school Not-at-work
50
Employment training
Community services
Family functioning
Associational involvement
Social trust
Uniformed/ Social services groups
Attitude towards volunteering
Mental health
Social support network
Self-esteem
At school
At work
Not-at-school Not-at-work
51
Employment training
Community services
Family functioning
Associational involvement
Social trust
Uniformed/ Social services groups
Attitude towards volunteering
Mental health
Social support network
Self-esteem
At school
At work
Not-at-school Not-at-work
52
Employment training
Community services
Family functioning
Associational involvement
Social trust
Uniformed/ Social services groups
Attitude towards volunteering
Religious belief (devoted/ quite devoted)
Mental health
Social support network
Self-esteem
At school
At work
Not-at-school Not-at-work
53
Employment training
Community services
Family functioning
Associational involvement
Social trust
Uniformed/ Social services groups
Attitude towards volunteering
Religious belief (devoted/ quite devoted)
Mental health
Availability of help
Self-esteem
At school
At work
Not-at-school Not-at-work
54
Employment training
Community services
Family relationship
Parent-child relationship
Associational involvement
Social trust
Uniformed/ Social services groups
Attitude towards volunteering
Religious belief (devoted/ quite devoted)
Mental health
Availability of help
Self-esteem
At school
At work
Not-at-school Not-at-work
55
Employment training
Community services
Family relationship
Parent-child relationship
Associational involvement
Social trust
Uniformed/ Social services groups
Attitude towards volunteering
Religious belief (devoted/ quite devoted)
Mental health
Availability of help
Self-esteem
At school
At work
Not-at-school Not-at-work
56
Total impact on social capital, social support
network and mental health status
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Employment training
Community services
Family functioning
Network structure
Network qualities
Network transactions
Mental health status
Social support network
At school
At work
Not-at-school Not-at-work
58
Employment training
Community services
Family functioning
Associational involvement
Social trust
Network transactions
15 19 years old
Self- esteem
Availability of help
Perception in life
At school
Not-at-school Not-at-work
At work
59
Employment training
Community services
Family relationship
Associational involvement
Social trust
Network transactions
20 24 years old
Self- esteem
Availability of help
Perception in life
At school
Not-at-school Not-at-work
At work
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Overall observations

• Social capital of youth
• Higher level of social trust, diversity of
  friendship and attitude towards volunteering
• Need to translate social capital, at the
  cognitive level, into action (e.g. participation
  in civic association and volunteering)
• Not-at-school/not-at-work
• Lower
• Double-dip pattern
• Attention required for youth, at the ages of 17
  19 and 21 23, probably during transition from
  school to work/further education
• Personal wellbeing and social support network
• Good family functioning, mental health and
  self-esteem
• Not-at-school/not-at-work
• Lower
• Double-dip pattern
• Attention required
• Relatively lower perception in life
• Low willingness to render help to
  friends/neighbours

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Causes and consequences of social capital
observations

• Family functioning is most important
• Not only for early adolescents, but also late
  adolescents
• Involvement of family
• Not just limited to home-school cooperation
• But also college-home or training
  institutions-home cooperation
• Community services also important
• Attention needed
• Decline in participation with age
• Low participation of those employed and
  not-at-school/not-at-work
• Impact of employment and training programmes on
  social capital of youth?
• Enhancing social capital of youth should be made
  an important objective and component of
  programmes.

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Social capital indicators

• Network qualities (cognitive social capital)
• Index of trust in people
• Index of trust in institutions
• Overall index of social trust
• Network structure (structural social capital)
• Index of diversity of friendship
• Network transaction (outcomes of social capital)
• Index of attitude towards volunteering
• Other factors
• Index of family relationship
• Index of parent-child relationship
• Index of availability of help
• Index of rendering help
• Index of mental health
• Index of perception in life
• Index of self-esteem

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• Thank You