To evaluate a societyˇs development and the living standards of its people, account should be taken, not only of the ¨economic capital〃, but the ¨social capital〃 as well. This is because social capital is seen as a crucial element for the prosperity and stability of a society.

            In the past, economic data was normally used for analysing the capital of a given place. Such data often included the financial status of a government, its investment in infrastructure projects, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) figures, as well as the average income of the people.  Over the past two decades, the concept of social capital was introduced as a means by which to evaluate societyˇs cohesiveness in terms of responsible citizenship and focus on relationships based on mutual respect and trust, as a means of coping with adversity.

            Economic globalisation brought about keen competition, resulting in a great many challenges and problems faced by societies. The Government alone cannot deal with such challenges and there is a need for assistance from other sources, including the private and third sectors. The active participation of citizens is also crucial, as it can promote confidence and good will in times of difficulties as all strive to achieve a common goal. Thus, it is of great importance to examine the significance of social capital within societies.

            This study has made reference to surveys conducted overseas and examined three aspects of social capital, namely ¨charitable giving〃, ¨volunteering〃 and ¨ social participation〃.  It is hoped that by studying other surveys, useful data may be collected which could help towards establishing similar work in Hong Kong.  

            This study was conducted during the period from 19 November to 5 December 2001. 2032 persons were successfully interviewed, of which 1008 were between the ages of 15 and 29 and the remainder, 1024 were over 30 years old.  The rate of response was 42% and 51% respectively. The two sample groups were merged for this study. To avoid an uneven age distribution, the study adopted the weighting method to adjust the proportion in respondentsˇ ages to keep them in line with the age proportion in the 2001 Census.

             The major findings are as follows: 

(1)      Hong Kong is still at an early stage regarding studies on ¨social capital〃.  The data with regard to ¨charitable giving〃, ¨volunteering〃 and ¨participating〃 is very raw and scattered.  Should Hong Kong wish to pursue this concept further, there needs to be a systematic collection of data.  This current study on social capital, therefore, marks just a beginning. 

(2)            In the aspect of "charitable giving〃: 

a.           Over 90% of respondents gave donations through organizations during the one-year period preceding the survey 

b.          Over 90% of respondents gave donations through organizations, regardless of their employment situation, education or religious backgrounds, indicating that donations through organizations was a common practice and was not related to social status  

c.          Among respondents who made financial donations through organizations, the annual average donation amount was HK$827.  Most of this money went to local charitable organizations, which accounted for about 37% of the total donations.  Another 33% went to international charitable organizations 

d.          30% of the respondents had made direct donations and 60% of the respondents donated resources other than money 

 (3)     In the aspect of "volunteering〃: 

a.       Over 20% of all respondents do volunteering through organizations  

b.      Most respondents who volunteered  through organizations, on average,  contributed 60 hours of service annually.  Most respondents chose to work through social service organizations (41.8%), followed by schools and educational bodies (34.8%), and religious bodies (29.4%). 

c.      35% of all volunteers chose to offer direct support to the needy  

 (4)     In the aspect of "participating〃: 

a.           About 25% of the respondents were members, officers or volunteers in non-profit organizations 

b.          If respondents were students, their rate of participation in the 5 on-campus organizations ranged from 10 to 40% 

c.          Figures show that respondents who participated in non-profit organizations had a relatively higher voting rate   

(5)    Power of Civilians: the result of the study shows that even while the economic downturn may reduce the amount of financial donations, respondents were still willing to do volunteer work.  The survey also reflected that with mutual trust and support, with a sense of giving and participating.  Hong Kong already had a good ground for developing social capital. This requires further investigation. 

In view of the above discussions, the Federation recommends that:

 1.   Both economic and social capitals are essential to the prosperity and progress of a society.  To study the development and changes of social capital, there is a need for a good data base system, to be regularly updated and to serve as a foundation for analysis and discussion. 

2.        The findings of this study show that there is room for development in the areas of ¨charitable giving〃, ¨volunteering〃 and ¨participating〃. The impact of schools should not be underestimated in the three areas.  Social organizations and business corporations also have their role to play in their promotion.  With the effort of all parties concerned, it is believed that society can be made to be caring. 

3.        This study shows that the donation habits of respondents are common and transcend social status.  Such a spirit of mutual support and giving is a valuable asset of Hong Kong society, and should therefore be recognized and appreciated.  Citizen participation at all levels will benefit the entire community of Hong Kong. 

-End-

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