Title
Welfare attitudes and social class : the case of Hong Kong in comparative perspective
Document Type
Journal article
Source Publication
International Journal of Social Welfare
Publication Date
4-1-2009
Volume
18
Issue
2
First Page
142
Last Page
152
Publisher
Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
Keywords
welfare state, class, social policy, Hong Kong, comparative, ISSP
Abstract
Based on a survey of Hong Kong residents, this article explores the attitudes towards the welfare state and whether or not there are significant differences between different social classes with regard to their approval of the welfare state. The findings were then compared with those for Sweden and the USA. The study shows that Hong Kong residents strongly approve of the welfare state. The strength of their support is similar to that in Sweden and is far stronger than in the USA. In Hong Kong, the influence of social class on attitudes towards the welfare state is negligible. In some cases, the privileged classes expressed greater approval for the welfare state than the underprivileged classes. This is in striking contrast to the experiences in Sweden and the USA where the underprivileged classes are more supportive of the welfare state than are the privileged classes.
DOI
10.1111/j.1468-2397.2008.00576.x
Print ISSN
13696866
E-ISSN
14682397
Publisher Statement
Copyright © 2008 Blackwell Publishing Ltd
Access to external full text or publisher's version may require subscription.
Full-text Version
Publisher’s Version
Language
English
Recommended Citation
Wong, K. Y. T., Wan, P. S., & Law, W. K. K. (2009). Welfare attitudes and social class: The case of Hong Kong in comparative perspective. International Journal of Social Welfare, 18(2), 142-152. doi: 10.1111/j.1468-2397.2008.00576.x
