Post on 29-Dec-2015
1
History Seminar: The Social Development of Hong Kong under
British rule -Charities in Hong Kong: changing
time, changing practices
Dr. Elizabeth Sinn
9 March 2010
History/PSHE/CDI
2
Charities in Hong Kong:Changing Times,Changing Practices
3
Who would you go to if you’re poor, sick and disabled today?
Who would you have gone to if you were poor, sick and disabled in the 19th century?
4
Charity -- Who gives what to whom and why.
• What are the charity activities? Who are the providers? Who are the recipients? Why are such activities necessary?
5
Development of Charities in Hong Kong
Three main periods:
1841 to 19451945 to 19671967/68 onwards
6
1. Chinese (particularistic) voluntary associations
2. Chinese (general) voluntary associations3. Christian missionaries and other
religious institutions
4. Non-Chinese non-Christian voluntary associations
5. The government
Five main groups of welfare providers playing different roles over time
7
1841-1949
8
1841-1949
Hong Kong Society
1.Frontier town, single, male-dominated and transient population
2. Poor, sick, dying, unemployed, kidnapped and victims of other misfortunes could not rely on government help
9
1841-1945
Main Givers
1. Chinese (particularistic) voluntary associations, e.g. native place organizations (tongxianghui 同鄉會 ), guilds
2. Chinese (non particularistic) voluntary associations e.g. Tung Wah Hospital, Po Leung Kuk, Lok Sin Tong
3. Christian missionaries
4. Non-Chinese voluntary associations – Parsee Zoroastrian Charity Trust, Jewish Trust, Welfare League
5. The government: laissez faire policy, cheap and small government, not to attract more destitute people to HK.
10
1841-1949
Christian missionaries
1. education2. hospitals (St Francis, Matilda,
Nethersole, Canossa)3. orphanages4. blind5. reformatory for boys6. spiritual needs
11
Charity Work
Guilds and native place associations (tongxianghui 同鄉會)
1. provide shelter for unemployed
2. relief for sick
3. burials and repatriating bones.
1841-1945
12
1841-1945
Non-particularistic Chinese voluntary associations
Tung Wah Hospital
a. history – emergence from I-tsz 義祠 b. medical and non-medical work
c. Social impact
13
Tung Wah HospitalMedical Work – Chinese medicine for ChineseNon-medical work –
local for Chinese emigrants, for China
1841-1945
14
1841-1945
Tung Wah Hospital
Non-medical work -- Local i) free schoolii) shelter for poor and
repatriation of sick and pooriii) shelter for rescued women
and children and repatriation
iv) free coffins and burial services
Charity for the living, charity for the dead
15
1841-1945
Tung Wah Hospital
Non-medical work for Chinese emigrants, i) rescue victims of emigration abuses,
kidnappingii) repatriating women sold overseasiii) took care of sick and poor
returned emigrants
iv) putting coffins on ships – taiping guan, gold mountain guan 金山棺
v) repatriation of emigrants’ bones and coffins (yizhuang 義庒 )
16
1841-1945
Tung Wah HospitalNon-medical work for China
i) Raising funds for famine, floods, drought in China
ii) Organizing relief
17
Tung Wah HospitalIdeological basis
i) Confucian ii ) Buddhist
Some phrases, terminologies used
盛德 天下事可以饜眾生而行久遠普濟眾生 廣福慈航
1841-1945
18
1841-1945
Tung Wah Hospital – social and political significance
1 Relationship between Tung Wah Hospital and Hong Kong government: Cheap way to solve social problems—social stability2. Elite status of merchants in a colonial society (no gentry) British Government awarded honours to encourage Chinese donation and participation – indirect rule3. Legitimacy of community leadership based on providing community needs according to Chinese principles.4. Composition of Tung Wah Board deeply embedded in Hong Kong’s economic structure (also financial support)
19
1841-1949
Po Leung KukProtection of women and girlsKidnapped womenmuitsai 妹仔 , prostitutes and concubines
20
1949-1967
1949-1967
21
Government’s new role: i) Welfare Office 1948 (to coordinate efforts of
different voluntary agents) and Welfare Department 1958
ii) Resettlement and housingiii) Supported “kaifong associations” that
provided schools, education and other community movements.
iv) Social work training – beginnings of professional social work [course in social work began at HKU 1950]
1945-1967
22
• Particularistic Chinese volunteer associations:
Change of focus for native place associations –
more localized, especially schools (schools encouraged by government subsidies) and clinics
1945-1967
23
1945-1967
Tung Wah Hospital
1.Hospital and subsidized schools, etc.
1.More new services, e.g. convalescent home, for mentally handicapped children.
3. Western medicine became mainstream.
24
1945-1967
Po Leung Kuk
1. No longer involved with muitsai
2. More on educating than “protecting”-- schools
3. Child care
25
Post 1967Post 1967
26
Post --1967
Government1. Change in government policy –
need for community building: Hong Kong as home.
2. Scope of welfare widened – medicine, education, youth work, housing, leisure and culture
3. Expansion of Social Welfare Department
Public assistance: cash payment for poor and disabled and infirmed.
4. More subsidies for voluntary associations (NGOs) 5. Community Chest
27
Post 1967
Charities -- TW, PLK, churches
1. Continued diversification:
e.g. rehabilitation, youth service
2. Work modified by greater government
participation
more affluent society
28
Some Conclusions
29
1841-1949
Charities:
• missionary-led and merchant-led, • transnational and status-conferring• little government involvement,
reflecting commercial, “bachelor” and mobile society
30
1949-1967
Charities: more localized and rooted because of closing of China
31
Post 1967
Government main welfare provider: Greater direct and indirect
participation of government in welfare provision--
effort at community building
Much wider scope of welfare: Reflecting more affluent society
Other channels of social advancement besides charities