Background

To date we know very little about how local Ethnic Minority (EM) youths negotiate their everyday life when their ethnic (and religious) culture is marginalized in mainstream schooling and society. How does inclusion/exclusion operate beyond the classroom and impact on EM young men and women’s growing up processes? How can we promote a better understanding of the education-work-family interface within the EM communities in Hong Kong?   This Component aims to investigate the views and experiences of ethnic minority young people who are on the threshold of independence, and their actual experiences of transitions to adulthood in various key domains of life – from transition in education; transition to work, to home leaving, and to finding relationships (including courtship and coping with sexuality). What are their aspirations and difficulties encountered at different stages, and in what ways are these shaped by their ethnicity, class background, social and cultural norms, and family expectations.  This Component will also develop an empirical-driven programmes that aid EM youths to master their developmental tasks with the acknowledgement of their unique difficulties and potentials / assets.

Objectives

• To identify the needs, strengths and aspirations of EM youths (12-24) in Hong Kong
• To assess the attainment level of equal opportunities obtained (e.g. study, vocational training, social services given) promoting fairer social integration and mobility of EM youths both from EM and service provider perspectives
• To assess the personal, socio-cultural, and structural factors affecting and fostering the social and civil participation of EM youths in Hong Kong
• To document, assess, and strengthen key existing non-school based social services support, particularly good practices, limitations, and deficiency of existing social integration services for EM youths run by relevant NGOs and service providers in Hong Kong
• To develop a pilot programme in collaboration with an NGO and evaluate its impact
• To develop and evaluate empirical-informed printed and non-printed educational materials and knowledge exchange seminars that will enhance public’s awareness and attitude towards socially inclusive society and equal opportunities to meet EM people’s best interests
• To provide support in development of new programmes that adopts a positive youth development approach for EM youths in Hong Kong; and
• To provide empirical-based information on non-school-based programmes to assist and empower EM youths for better social integration into mainstream society in Hong Kong as well as for other East-Asian societies.