Exploring the Life of a Social Group through the lens of Gender, Class and/or Race
Aims of the project:
1. Arouse your interests in and exposure to the studies of communities, neighbourhood and
social problems in a society.
2. Enhance your analytical and perceptual skills to construct a narrative well-supported with
evidence.
3. Help sharpen your understanding about the studies of contemporary Hong Kong on the lines
of gender, class and race.
Instructions:
1. Choose one social group in the following box as your research target.
2. Students may also choose one of the other social groups not listed here as the research
target.
3. Select at least one social category (i.e., gender, class and/or race) as your lens to study
your target social group.
4. Interview at least two members of your target social group as the first-hand information
of your case study, supplemented by newspaper articles and other material, to show
why and how the social category (i.e., gender, class and/or race) matters to the life of
your case study.
Tips:
1. Plan your project with a particular focus on a social issue in contemporary Hong Kong
(e.g., work, housing, education, migration, medical care etc.).
2. Form a research question about your research focus with your chosen lens and study it
with the case of your target social group.
3. Narrow down the theme by focusing on a particular aspect, period and/or region.
4. Elucidate the life of your research target and evaluate his/her/their historical
significance with your chosen lens.
5. Give your project a title.
6. Both private and public written and visual sources should be properly cited (APA
form or Chicago-style).
Tips for conducting interviews:
1. Prepare in advance:
- Familiarize yourself with the background of the social group and the specific
research topic.
- Develop a list of open-ended questions that will elicit detailed and thoughtful
responses.
- Anticipate potential follow-up questions to delve deeper into specific areas of
interest.
2. Establish rapport:
- Introduce yourself and explain the purpose of the interview.
- Create a comfortable and non-threatening environment for the interviewee.
- Build rapport by showing genuine interest, actively listening, and displaying
empathy.
3. Active listening:
- Pay close attention to the interviewee's responses, both verbal and non-verbal cues.
- Avoid interrupting or imposing your own opinions during the interview.
- Ask clarifying questions to ensure a thorough understanding of the interviewee's
perspective.
4. Respect and sensitivity:
- Respect the interviewee's boundaries and privacy.
- Be sensitive to cultural, social, or personal factors that may affect the interviewee's
comfort level or willingness to share certain information.
- Use inclusive and non-discriminatory language throughout the interview.
5. Flexibility and adaptability:
- Be prepared to deviate from your prepared questions if the conversation naturally
leads to other relevant topics.
- Adapt your interviewing style and approach based on the interviewee's
communication style and preferences.
6. Take comprehensive notes:
- Document key points, quotes, and observations during the interview.
- Ensure accuracy and clarity in your note-taking to aid in later analysis.
7. Follow-up and gratitude:
- Thank the interviewee for their time and willingness to participate.
- Offer to share the research findings or any relevant resources with them if they
express interest.
- Maintain open lines of communication for potential follow-up questions or
clarifications.
The format of Group Presentations:
1. A group will have to give a 30 to 45-minute oral presentation, with a 15-minute Q&A
session. Adjustments will be made in accordance with the group size.
2. You may include a job log or workload table of the team.
3. Submit a hardcopy of PowerPoint slides to the lecturer on the day of presentation.
4. Commenters will give a peer review to evaluate the performance of the presenters.
5. The interview video should be 3 to 5 minutes long.
6. The language used in the video can be English or Chinese.
7. The videos should include a title and subtitle in both English and Chinese.
8. Upload the videos (with the appropriate URLs) on YouTube.
You should be aware of the following:
1. What historical aspects or pictures of a society do your study show? What history or
social changes can you tell from it?
2. Why do you choose this particular target, if any, as your case study? What story can
you tell with your case study? What is its significance?
3. Does the story of your research target give you a new insight or an unusual viewpoint
to studying history?
4. Think of written and visual sources to enrich your presentation, such as history books,
scholarly works, governmental documents, archives, surveys, reports, newspapers,
and so on.