Chinese Attitudes Research Articles

Contact Reduces Transprejudice: A Study on Attitudes towards Transgenderism and Transgender Civil Rights in Hong Kong

ABSTRACT This paper examines the relationship between Hong Kong Chinese people's contact with transgender/transsexual (TG/TS) people and attitudes toward transgenderism and transgender civil rights, based on Allport's Contact Hypothesis. The term transprejudice is introduced to refer to the negative valuing, stereotyping and discriminatory treatment of TG/TS people. Data are presented from a population-based survey with a random sample of 856 Hong Kong Chinese persons aged between 15 and 64, using the Chinese Attitudes towards Transgenderism and Transgender Civil Rights Scale (CATTCRS). Attitudes, assessed on both personal and institutional dimensions, are examined in relation to participants’ gender, age, educational level, religiosity, and previous contact with transpeople. Results suggest that previous contact with transpeople was significantly associated with attitudes reflected in the scale; decreased social distance, decreased social discrimination, and decreased transprejudice, increased awareness of discrimination against transpeople, increased support for equal opportunities, increased support for post-operative transsexual civil rights, and increased support for anti-discrimination legislation. Our findings support the contact hypothesis, that contact has a positive effect on attitudes towards TG/TS persons. We discuss the implications of these findings for public education interventions and public policy, as well as for research.

Parenting the Chinese Way in America

This paper illustrates a case study on two Chinese American families with gifted children, and the major topic focuses on the influence of parenting beliefs and practices on children's talent development. In-depth interviews were employed to collect data from the Chinese parents who lived in America, and research questions include the daily practice of parenting, and parents' beliefs concerning how to nurture talented achievements among children. This paper starts with a narrative account of cases of two gifted children, and then examines the background of Confucian philosophy of learning and its fundamental influence on Chinese traditional parenting practices. Evidences are provided from the case study on the Chinese parents' beliefs, values, and attitudes regarding their children' talent development. Implications are discussed at the end of the paper, which draws attention to the interesting mixed strategy of the Chinese American parenting which combines traditional Chinese parental expectations with an adopted Western notion of respect for a child's own decision-making.

An Investigation of Chinese Attitudes toward the Environment: Case Study Using the Grain for Green Project

China is the world's most populous country and has one of the largest territories. As such, Chinese attitudes and behavior with regard to environmental issues are key factors in protecting the world's natural resources and environment. In this study, we surveyed a random sample of 5000 citizens from six Chinese provinces (Beijing, Shanghai, Hubei, Hunan, Henan, and Shaanxi) to understand their environmental attitudes, contrasts between the attitudes of citizens in different demographic groups, and their willingness to invest in environmental conservation. The results indicated that policymakers and the public increasingly recognize the key role that environmental restoration plays in protecting the overall health of the environment. In total, 91% of the interviewees believed that the environment had deteriorated severely during the past decade, compared with 44% in a 1999 survey. In addition, 78% of the interviewees supported their government's investment of more than 300 billion RMB (approximately 10% of total government revenues in 2004) in the "Grain for Green Project", which discouraged unsustainable land use by compensating farmers and herders for abandoning farming and grazing on marginal land. There was a strong correlation between environmental attitudes and net income and education levels, and other differences were based on the respondents' age, gender, job, and location. Net income and education level were the key factors that affected environmental attitudes. Based on these results, we propose that successful environmental restoration projects must include both an education component and an economic development component.

Citizen Trust in Police

This study assesses the extent to which Chinese citizens trust their police and explores factors that account for variation in public trust in police. Very few studies have empir ically examined Chinese attitudes toward police. Using conflict theory as the guiding theo retical framework and interview data collected from eight Chinese cities, the study tests the effects of conflict variables, including gender, age, education, income, employment, and perceived political influence, and relevant control variables on Chinese public trust in police. The results show that conflict variables only have a modest explanatory power o Chinese attitudes toward police. Younger Chinese and Chinese with lower levels of per ceived political power tend to have lower levels of trust in police. Chinese attitudes toward police are also influenced by satisfaction with public safety, governmental capability of dealing with crime, quality of life, and corruption among government officials Implications for future research are discussed.

Chinese Political Attitudes and Values in Comparative Context: Cautionary Remarks on Cultural Attributions

Cultural explanations have a long and distinguished tradition in the study of Chinese politics. This paper examines the extent to which standard cultural attributions about the Chinese are supported by survey evidence from the World Values Survey. Moreover, it compares the values and beliefs articulated by the Chinese respondents with those of their Taiwanese, American, Canadian counterparts. Although in some instances the survey data support conventional wisdom, in many other respects they contradict the stylized characterizations often found in the literature. One is therefore led to conclude that cultural attributions should be grounded in empirical evidence, evaluated comparatively, and made with sensitivity to the potential for change and hidden biases.

Chinese adolescents' attitudes towards collective and communicable responsibility

This research explored the attitudes of 386 Chinese adolescent students toward collective and communicable responsibility, using three scenarios involving school, society and history, with two different situations and two types of projections per scenario. The results showed that: (1) the majority of Chinese adolescents believed that collective and communicable responsibility was unjust, and this belief differed significantly with different age groups; (2) the majority expressed the view that collective and communicable responsibility could be understood and accepted; (3) their feelings toward collective and communicable responsibility were negative; (4) most showed willingness to take responsibility for misbehaviour in order to avoid collective punishment, and this willingness became stronger with increasing age; and (5) attitudes toward collective and communicable responsibility differed between two situations (‘do not know the offender’ and ‘do not expose the offender’), between two projections (general projection and role‐taking projection) and between the three scenarios of school, society and history.

Analysis of Chinese Travellers' Attitudes Toward Holidaying in New Zealand: The Impact of Socio-Demographic Variables

ABSTRACT The aim of this study is to explore the attitude of the Mainland Chinese holidaymakers, their interest in the tourism and hospitality features of New Zealand, and the impact of socio-demographic variables on their travel motivation. The findings should assist the marketing strategies to promote tourism and hospitality product of New Zealand to the Mainland China. A survey questionnaire using Leisure Motivation Scale was designed originally in English, and then it was translated into Chinese Language (Mandarin) before being administered. The study was undertaken in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou–the top three Mainland Chinese cities with highest trend to travel abroad. The analysis involved descriptive statistics; independent sample t-test and ANOVA. The influence of five different demographic variables such as gender, educational level, income level, marital status and age are considered. Overall the study shows the significant features of the attitude of Chinese travellers and how demographic variables influence their attitude. The study explores sparsely researched specificities of influence of socio-demographic variables of Chinese holidaymakers in relation to tourism activities and features of New Zealand.

A CREATIVE PARTNERSHIP AND AN INNOVATIVE AND EFFECTIVE MULTIMEDIA ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNING AND TEACHING WEBSITE

"in2english" as an innovative and effective multimedia English language learning and teaching website came about through a creative partnership between the British Council (BC), the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), China Central Radio and Television University (CCRTVU) and CRTVU-Online Distance Educational Technology Limited (CRTVU-Online). As a cooperative endeavor it combines British expertise in English teaching and development of online materials with CCRTVU's knowledge and experience of the English learning environment in China as well as expertise in ICT and development of online materials. At its inception many of the website's features were innovative and cutting edge. The free website goes beyond text and makes extensive use of multimedia. Since its launch on 5th November 2002 the website has welcomed nearly 10 million unique visitors, visited 18 million times, from its target audience of business people, English teachers, young professionals and their children. During five years of development "in2english" has evolved into a highly interactive community. "myin2english", a personalized feature, helps foster the learners' participation and ventures into the world of mobile learning highlight its continuing commitment to innovation. However, it is also a time to reflect on the lessons learned about Chinese learners' attitude to online learning. A retrospective and critical approach is needed to see how far we have come, how creative and innovative we are now and how we should proceed in the future.

Changing Mindsets: How China's Abnormal Sex Ratio Is Turning Its Government into a Champion of Gender Equality

AbstractA combination of factors has led to an increasing imbalance in the sex ratio of China's population. China's sex ratio at birth is 119 boys per 100 girls, far above the global norm of 106. This paper will focus on the abnormal sex ratio as a consequence of traditional Chinese gender attitudes holding women inferior and subordinate to men, which have been brought to the fore by a combination of fertility decline and technological advancement. Accordingly, any solution to the demographic problem must address these prevalent, entrenched mind-sets. The government appears to realise that existing laws prohibiting sex-selective abortion and infanticide will fail to correct the sex ratio. This paper examines the trend in government responses towards efforts to address traditional gender attitudes and argues that the demographic crisis may have turned the Chinese government into an unlikely champion of gender equality.

Attitudes Toward Suicide Among Chinese People in Hong Kong

Since suicide in Chinese people exhibits certain distinctive characteristics, it is important to develop indigenous measures to assess Chinese attitudes toward suicide that may be used to inform suicide reduction programs. Combining qualitative and quantitative methods, we developed a Hong Kong version of the Chinese Attitude toward Suicide Questionnaire (CASQ-HK) which assesses attitudes toward suicide, suicidal inclination under 12 hypothetical scenarios, and prior suicidal experience. A convenience sample of 1,226 people completed the self-report questionnaire. In keeping with Chinese tradition, respondents revealed both tolerant and condemning attitudes that varied with their sociodemographic characteristics. Generally, they were not strongly inclined to consider suicide in the presence of difficult scenarios. Female gender, older age, and the presence of suicidal ideation were associated with more contemplation of suicide.

Whither Foreign R&D in China: Some Concluding Thoughts on Chinese Innovation

The purpose of this article is to highlight the impact of a new range of field-work driven scholarly research regarding foreign R&D in China on the field of Chinese innovation studies. The field of China innovation studies is positioned for a major take-off with the opening up and broadening of the field to a new generation of scholars and experts, including the growing participation and contributions of Chinese nationals from the People's Republic of China (PRC). With the continued opening of China to the outside world has come also increased scholarly access which is allowing for research on issues that heretofore was constrained due to the limited availability of information as well as political and national security sensitivities. The field also is benefiting from the increased visibility being given to innovation matters by the Chinese government and the rise in the number of foreign R&D centres that have been established by foreign companies. New ‘internally-focused’ questions related to R&D spending, the cultural and historical setting for innovation, and the institutional structure are being addressed with some promising results. In addition, a whole new series of ‘externally-focused’ questions also are beginning to dominate the research agenda as more and more foreign firms seek to take advantage of China's improved climate for overseas business as well as the growing number of scientists and engineers at the higher end of the Chinese talent pool. The more we seem to find out, however, the more we realize we need to know to truly understand China's technological potential. That said, it is increasingly clear that foreign influence is having an important shaping effect on the nature of the PRC's R&D system, especially with respect to the strategic role played or potentially being played by returned scholars and experts whose more cosmopolitan perspectives serve as a real asset in building bridges between Chinese traditional attitudes and modes of behaviour towards new knowledge creation and the current institutional constraints on China's innovation trajectory since 1949.

The elusive aim of universal suffrage: Constitutional developments in Hong Kong

For most of its one hundred and fi fty years, British rule over Hong Kong did not allow for any political participation by the local population. Prior to the territory’s return to China, however, the United Kingdom and the prospective new sovereign agreed that both the legislature and executive of the future Hong Kong would be determined by elections. China further specifi ed that, as an “ ultimate aim, ” these elections would be based on universal suffrage. Yet in the years since, China has intervened in the supposedly autonomous region to slow down or halt constitutional development. While these interventions contravene the constitutional provisions of the Special Administrative Region, they should not come as a surprise; nor do they represent a change in Chinese attitudes toward Hong Kong. Rather, they refl ect the Chinese government’s misgivings about free elections — misgivings not unlike those of the British with respect to colonial Hong Kong.

An Empirical Study on The Effect of Images and Trust Competitiveness toward Chinese Consumer Attitudes

An Empirical Study on The Effect of Images and Trust Competitiveness toward Chinese Consumer Attitudes

“Linking Up with the International Track” What's in a Slogan?

The rise of China as a major power in the world is an indisputable reality of world politics today. Less clear is whether China will abide by the prevailing international rules as it becomes more powerful. This article attempts to gauge China's evolving attitude toward international norms pertinent to domestic governance by studying a popular Chinese slogan – “link up with the international track” (yu guoji jiegui). It examines the rise of the slogan at different levels of the Chinese public discourse, analyses its meanings and applications in the Chinese discourse, and assesses the major controversies over the slogan. This study shows that Chinese thinking about international norms varies across time, secots and issue areas. It suggests the need for greater nuance in our understanding of current and future Chinese attitudes towards international rules.

Between Chinese culture and the rule of law

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine aspects of the social, cultural, political and legal architecture of intellectual property rights (IPR) in China. The paper aims to identify inhibiting and facilitating factors in the Chinese environment as they pertain to establishing of a workable regime for IPR in China. The paper also offers some practical strategies that foreign managers can employ to reduce the risk of piracy of intellectual property (IP) in China.Design/methodology/approach – A literature review of the main influences on the formation of Chinese attitudes to IPR are identified and discussed. Against this background, a model for the establishment of a new regime for IPR in China is proposed.Findings – While the cultural architecture of IPR in China is often identified as the major influence on the level of IP piracy, other aspects of the Chinese political, business and social environment may actually facilitate the acceptance of, and respect for, IPR. Indeed, the experience of Taiwan...

English and Chinese? The Role of Consumer Ethnocentrism and Country of Origin in Chinese Attitudes towards Store Signs

This article examines how consumer ethnocentrism (CE) relates to Chinese consumers’ evaluations of three store signs – Chinese name, English and Chinese name, and both languages along with the country of origin (COO) – for a hypothetical foreign bread shop. From an applied perspective, consumer attitudes and intention to purchase significantly favour the latter strategy. From an academic perspective, CE showed a significant relationship with bi-lingual signs. Compared to low ethnocentric consumers, high ethnocentric consumers had significantly less favourable attitudes and buying intentions towards bi-lingual signs. Ethnocentrism however, showed no relationship with attitudes and intentions towards a sign solely in Chinese. The study also found that COO can moderate the impact of CE on foreign brand evaluations, significantly so for a US brand but insignificant when the COO was Australia. The article closes with academic and applied implications for foreign brand naming strategies in China, as well as future research areas

Chinese Attitudes toward Cleft Lip and Palate: Effects of Personal Contact

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of personal contact on the attitudes of individuals towards persons with cleft lip and palate (CLP) and the possible cultural differences in these attitudes for Chinese respondents living in Hong Kong. Chinese parent, teacher, and employer groups were administered a cleft lip and palate attitudinal questionnaire and the Scale of Attitudes Toward Disabled Persons inventory. Thirty-nine parents of children with CLP, 27 teachers of children with CLP, and 37 employers with no previous contact with individuals with CLP participated in the study. The results showed significant intergroup differences on several items involving beliefs concerning emotional health, social development, and employment-related barriers for individuals with CLP, and whether such individuals should seek nonmedical help to treat speech problems. Employers showed a comparatively less favorable attitude to persons with CLP than the two other groups. Parent, teacher, and employer groups in the Chinese community studied showed differences in their attitudes towards individuals with CLP. The findings suggest the need for further community health education to help develop more positive attitudes towards disabled persons in general, as well as programs targeted at reducing negative stereotyping of adults and children with CLP.

The American Factor: Sino-American Rapprochement and Chinese Attitudes to the Vietnam War, 1968–72

It is clear that any work dealing with the United States and China during the 1960 s and 1970 s must make reference to the Vietnam War, and likewise any work dealing with Chinese involvement in the Vietnam War cannot overlook China's burgeoning relationship with the United States. However, since the release of documents from the Nixon administration and the publication of recent Chinese-language scholarship, there has been no systematic study of the connection between these two political processes. This paper charts the impact of Sino-American rapprochement on Beijing's attitudes towards the Vietnam War, and to what extent it caused China to alter its Vietnam policy.

The Use of Supervisory Authority in Chinese Cultural Context

ABSTRACT This qualitative study explores supervisory authority in the relationship between social work supervisors and frontline social workers in Hong Kong. Forty in-depth interviews and seven focus groups were conducted with supervisors, supervisees, and local experts. The findings reflect that the supervisors dominate the decision-making process and that their authority is apparent in the supervisor-supervisee relationship. The results reveal that in issues related to policy or administration, or when there is an urgent need for timely decision-making, supervisors would give clear instructions and adopt a straightforward decision-making strategy. Discussion among staff is allowed and encouraged, but it focuses on issues related to professional practice or service delivery. Supervisees tend to use supervision to ensure that the supervisor is responsible for decision-making, and they often become frustrated when no clear instructions are given. The Chinese attitude towards hierarchical relationship and practice of subordination to authority are obvious in the supervisor-supervisee relationship. Most supervisors interviewed tend to adopt a “consensus by consultation and consent” approach in their supervisory practice. This approach reduces staff participation and sense of belonging. Supervisors are advised to achieve referent power and expert power by using a competence model of supervision to replace culturally ascribed authority.

The Gendering of Physical Education in Hong Kong: East, West or Global?

How gender operates is a key factor in the ways in which physical education is organized, taught and experienced by students and teachers. This essay highlights the gendered contours of the history of physical education development in Hong Kong, its Chinese heritage and its colonial foundations – the persistent influence of British approaches to physical education teacher education and the promotion of sport. The paper is a collaborative work between Chinese-born and Western scholars. It examines the relative influences of Chinese attitudes towards gender roles and the active, sporting body and the continued impact of Western approaches to physical education and sport in a post-colonial society.