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Demise of the Developmental State? Implications for Social Policy Development in Hong Kong
Author(s) -
Shik Angela Wai Yan,
Wong Chackkie
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
asian social work and policy review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.286
H-Index - 13
eISSN - 1753-1411
pISSN - 1753-1403
DOI - 10.1111/j.1753-1411.2012.00065.x
Subject(s) - demise , developmental state , state (computer science) , political science , political economy , development economics , sociology , law and economics , public administration , economics , law , computer science , algorithm , politics
This paper argues that H ong K ong is now at the crossroads of its journey towards social policy development. While economic development still seems to be the unwavering objective of the H ong K ong government, the demand for democracy and social development can no longer be ignored because of a strong civil society fostered by economic success. The current state of affairs provides a window of opportunity for the H ong K ong government to strengthen its legitimacy through the development of social policy and to promote social harmony through inclusivity in social welfare. The findings from the present empirical survey conducted by the H ong K ong Institute of Asia‐Pacific Studies ( HKIAPS ) in 2010 demonstrate that H ong K ong people identified social harmony as the main direction for social development, closely followed by economic development, and democracy and freedom. Respondents who chose social harmony as the main goal of social development were more likely to take a step back and find common ground when fighting for their own rights or the rights of society. This paper concludes that these findings reflect the crucial importance of taking social harmony into consideration in the social policy development process.