Paternal and Maternal Experiences in Caring for Chinese Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in Hong Kong

Joyce L. C. Ma,Kelly Y. C. Lai 한국사회복지학회 2016 Asian Social Work and Policy Review Vol.10 No.2

This paper reports the results of an exploratory study that (i) identified parental stress and competence, parents’ perception of their children’s attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms, and the parent-child relationship in caring for children with ADHD; (ii) compared paternal and maternal experiences in these areas; and (iii) examined the effect of children’s ADHD behavior on paternal and maternal experiences in Hong Kong Chinese parents. Seventy-two (59.5%) mothers and 49 (40.5%) fathers participated in the study, in which data were collected using a structured questionnaire. The results showed that: (i) mothers’ level of parental stress was higher than fathers’, but paternal and maternal competence in child-rearing did not significantly vary; (ii) mothers perceived the child’s ADHD behavior more seriously than fathers; (iii) both mothers and fathers had positive perceptions of their parent-child relationship; and (iv) gender, employment, ADHD symptoms, and parental satisfaction explained the significant variance in parental stress but did not explain the significant variance in parental competence. Implications for social work practice and service development are discussed.

Parenting Stress and Perceived Family Functioning of Chinese Parents in Hong Kong: Implications for Social Work Practice

Joyce L.C. Ma,Timothy K.Y. Wong,Y.K. Lau,Lauren L.Y. Lai 한국사회복지학회 2011 Asian Social Work and Policy Review Vol.5 No.3

This article reports the results of a telephone survey (n = 1002) conducted in November 2008,which aimed to identify parenting stress and perceived family functioning of Chinese parents inHong Kong; to explore the effects of the parents’ socio-demographic characteristics (gender, familyincome, education and family structure) on the aforementioned stress and functioning variables;and to examine the interrelationship among these characteristics and the two variables in question. Results showed that the reported parenting stress was at average level, while the perceived familyfunctioning was slightly below average. The results also indicated that the parenting stress of mothers,single parents, the low-income and the less-educated was higher than that of fathers, parents ofnuclear and extended families, the high-income and the better-educated. Socio-demographic characteristicsexcept the parent’s gender had similar effects on perceived family functioning. Higherparenting stress was associated with lower family functioning, and explained a larger variancein the perceived family functioning than the socio-demographic characteristics taken alone. The results of the study have provided empirical support regarding the interrelationships amongthe vulnerable groups in society, parenting stress and perceived family functioning. Implicationsof the study for social work practice are discussed.

The Effect of Socioeconomic Status and Family Structure on Parental Warmth and Parental Control in a Chinese Context: Implications for Social Work Practice

Joyce L.C. Ma,Timothy K.Y. Wong,Yuk K. Lau,Lok Y. Lai 한국사회복지학회 2012 Asian Social Work and Policy Review Vol.6 No.3

We report the results of a telephone survey conducted in 2008 in Hong Kong, which aimed to identifyChinese parents’ parental warmth and parental control (guan) and to explore their relationshipwith the sociodemographic characteristics of the parents. The respondents perceived themselves tobe warm (mean = 3.44) and educating their child (mean = 3.46). The results of multiple regressionanalysis showed that the five sociodemographic characteristics explained 15.8% and 8.2% of thevariance in parental warmth and guan respectively. The mothers were warmer than the fathers; parentswith higher monthly household income, higher educational attainment and with their smallestchild young in age were warmer than parents of lower household income, lower educational attainmentand with their smallest child older in age. However, parental guan did not vary among the fivesociodemographic characteristics except educational attainment. Implications of the study forsocial work practice are discussed.

Sex Differences in Perceived Family Functioning and Family Resources in Hong Kong Families: Implications for Social Work Practice

Joyce L.C. Ma,Timothy K.Y. Wong,Yuk King Lau 한국사회복지학회 2009 Asian Social Work and Policy Review Vol.3 No.3

Although enhancing family functioning has become a rising concern of social workers in Chinesecontexts such as Hong Kong, little has been known on perceived family functioning and familyresources. To fill in this knowledge gap, this article reports part of the results of a telephone surveyconducted in Hong Kong, aiming to identify the sex differences in these two areas. The results ofthe study have shown that Chinese women perceived better affective involvement, one of the crucialindicators of family functioning, than Chinese men. However, among the different familyresources, men rated better physical and mental well-being whereas women’s social connection wasstronger than men’s. Further analysis have shown that the linkage of three family resources(namely stress coping efficacy, time spent with family and income) to perceived family functioningwas statistically significant irrespective of genders. Implications of this study for social work practiceare discussed at the end of the article.

The Efficacy of a Community-Based Project in a Chinese Context

Joyce L.C. Ma,Mooly M. C. Wong,Eliza W. H. Cheng 한국사회복지학회 2009 Asian Social Work and Policy Review Vol.3 No.1

In this paper, the authors report the results of an exploratory study which assessed the service efficacyof a collaborative service initiative developed by a university academic department and a community-based social service agency in a socially deprived and remote community in Hong Kong. The project aimed to foster mutual help and self-help of low-income families and deepen theirsocial connection with the community. Service efficacy was assessed using a structured questionnaireand a focus group interview. After participating in the service project, the well-being of theparticipants has become better and their family relationships have improved. They have developeda stronger sense of belonging toward the community. The preliminary findings support the importanceof creating social network in social work practice for low-income families residing in adeprived and remote neighborhood.

Childcare policies and services in Hong Kong after the handover: Beyond a feminist critique

Lily L. L. Xia,Joyce L. C. Ma 한국사회복지학회 2019 Asian Social Work and Policy Review Vol.13 No.3

This article reviews the development of childcare policies and services in Hong Kong after the handover, gauging it with two standards: promoting the equal development of children and gender equality in our society. Statistics derived from data taken from multiple sources show that the government has been sticking to a “positive non-in-tervention approach” to welfare development and that the male breadwinner/female carer model prevalent in this region was shaped and strengthened by current child-care policies and services. The current provision of childcare services is insufficient to guarantee the equal use of childcare among children of different socioeconomic backgrounds, or to ease the tension between the needs of childcare and job require-ments in a family, or to emancipate married women from the domestic sphere. A “generative welfare approach” that collects fiscal resources and redistributes them strategically with a systemic mind-set has been suggested for social policy and ser-vice planning, including spending the money in the right place, launching smart and practical policies that can achieve both pragmatic effects and ideological improve-ment in the area of gender equality, providing financial support or subsidies to a company for the provision of parental leave, and increasing the provision of quality childcare services.