PREVALENCE, ROLE AND FUNCTIONS OF SELF-HELP GROUPS IN HONG KONG

Abstract

Self-help is a respectable Chinese value. The rapid growth of self-help groups in the field of social welfare in Hong Kong however, is only a recent phenomenon (Chau, 1996; Chow, 1996). Self-help groups for vulnerable populations such as patients with chronic illnesses, the physically disabled, the mentally disabled, single parents, drug abusers, and other client groups mushroomed in the late 1980s. The recognition and support given to self-help groups in the 1990 Social Welfare White Paper and the 1992 Green Paper on Rehabilitation Policies and Services have in part accelerated the development of self-help groups in the last few years. In spite of the rapid growth of self-help groups in Hong Kong, the full potential of utilising self-help groups remains untapped. One of the reasons may be attributed to the lack of systematic research and solid methodological foundations. Little was known about how helpful self-help groups are to members, and what kind of social impact they have brought about. The research component of the selfhelp phenomenon has clearly been left behind by the self-help movement itself. On the other hand, research on self-help groups has been flourishing in Western countries, particularly the United States and Canada (Borkman, 1976; Gartner & Riessman, 1977; Gottlieb, 1982; Kurtz, 1988; Humphreys, 1997; Roberts et al., 1999). There is definitely a need to systematically study the self-help phenomenon in the local context. Against this background and supported by a grant from RGC, this study was carried out from 1 October 1998 to 31 August 2001 with the following objectives.