The paper aims to explore the road to independence of the less-fortunate women in early Hong Kong society and their means in passing of wealth after death. In the 1970s, about 400…
Abstract
Purpose
The paper aims to explore the road to independence of the less-fortunate women in early Hong Kong society and their means in passing of wealth after death. In the 1970s, about 400 Chinese wills from the 1840s to the 1940s were dug up on a construction site in Hong Kong. One-fourth of these were from women who had held a substantial amount of property. How they obtained this property intrigued us because, at that time, women were seen as subordinate to men and excluded from the labor market. Why they had wills led to further questions about Hong Kong society of that time and the role of women in it.
Design/methodology/approach
The analysis of this paper is based on archival data gathered from the Hong Kong Public Records Office. These data include 98 women’s wills filed from the 1840s to the 1940s and a 500-page government investigation report on the prostitution industry released in 1879. The former recorded valuable information of brief testators’ family and personal life history, amount of assets, and profolio of investment, etc. The latter included testimonials of brothel keepers and prostitutes and their life stories and the background of legalizing prostitution in early Hong Kong. Apart from basic quantitative analysis on women’s marital status, number of properties, nature of wills and number of brothels, qualitative analysis is directed to review the testator’s life of self-reliance, wealth accumulation and reasons of using wills for arranging wealth transmission after death.
Findings
In this paper, the authors found that because the colonial government declared prostitution legal, and only women could obtain employment by becoming prostitutes or brothel keepers, they earned their own livelihood, saved money and finally became independent. However, because these professions were not seen as “decent”, and these women were excluded from the formal marriage system, intestacy could cause problems for them. Through their socio-business connections, they became familiar with the Western concept of testate inheritance. So, they tended to use wills – a legal document by which a person assigns someone to distribute his or her property according to his or her wishes after his or her death – to assign their property.
Research limitations/implications
Because only archival data are chosen for analysis, the research results may lack generalizability. Follow-up researches to examine whether the studied women acquired their wealth through their own work or simply as gifts from others are required.
Originality/value
This paper explores the understudied women’s life and method of estate passing after death in the early Hong Kong society. It fills the academic gap of women’s contribution to Hong Kong’s success and enriches our understanding on the important factors that could attribute women’s real independence.
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FROM time to time controversies arise as to the respective merits of two, or possibly more, solutions of a certain technical problem. These rage fiercely for a few years and then…
Abstract
FROM time to time controversies arise as to the respective merits of two, or possibly more, solutions of a certain technical problem. These rage fiercely for a few years and then, usually, one system proves to be demonstrably better, and becomes almost universal. Thus the axial flow compressor is now universal for all but the smallest gas turbine aero‐engines. There is still an active discussion as to whether low‐voltage d.c. will be entirely superseded by 400 cycle a.c. At a recent conference on aircraft icing protection, mentioned in this issue, the relative merits of hot gas and electrical deicing were argued, as was the degree of automatic control which was desirable in a deicing system. In the field of aircraft auxiliary services the lead has for a long time been held by hydraulics, with electrical actuation challenging and pneumatics rather neglected, except for certain specialized applications. In an article in this issue Mr J. Wotton, of Hunting Aircraft, gives the findings of a project study on the possibilities of pneumatics, undertaken with the small twin jet airliner design known as the P 107 in mind.
Mahmood Chandia and Jan Mei Soon
The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of different understandings regarding the concept of “what constitutes halal” and “who determines this concept?” In practice…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of different understandings regarding the concept of “what constitutes halal” and “who determines this concept?” In practice, this equates to contemporary legal understandings vs religious understandings. The paper further aims to provide an overview of competing Muslim understandings regarding the concept of “What does or does not constitute halal slaughter?” In practice, this equates to evaluating the application of no stunning at all upon an animal (unanimous acceptance) vs the application of reversible stunning upon an animal (contested).
Design/methodology/approach
The study includes a review of prior literature and considers the current scenario of the halal poultry trade and raises important questions regarding Islamic dietary practices, halal food integrity, religious and animal welfare understandings. Three key questions were raised: “To what extent does stunning impact halal slaughter?”; “Who determines what is halal slaughter?”; and “What are the variations and tensions between legal and religious understandings of halal slaughter?”.
Findings
The examination of such requirements and concomitant consumer and provider expectations is underpinned by a study of an operational framework, i.e. industry practices with poultry (hand slaughter, stunning, mechanical slaughter, etc.), ethical values and market forces to appraise whether there is a point of convergence for these that can be beneficial for both seller and consumer concerns. This paper has considered different perspectives on the religious slaughter and provided an overview of competing understandings regarding the above concepts.
Originality/value
This study although academic and philosophical in nature, raises questions on route to suggesting future research directions. It provides real value in stimulating more research in the area of halal food production and contributes to the understanding of different slaughter requirements for religious slaughter and the meat industry. It further sheds light on not only the religious and secular legal frameworks on animal slaughter and welfare but also the variations in understanding between them and provides examples of attempts to bridge any gap. The paper highlights the importance of halal food based on religious values and its implications for wider society.
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THE outstanding difference in using a gas as compared with a liquid as a means of transmitting power is the high degree of compressibility which can be achieved in the one and its…
Abstract
THE outstanding difference in using a gas as compared with a liquid as a means of transmitting power is the high degree of compressibility which can be achieved in the one and its virtual absence in the other. As might be expected there are instances in both cases where the peculiar characteristic is of value and others in which it is a drawback. In some cases a soft damping action is required for which compressed air provides a suitable medium, while in others a high degree of damping at a controlled rate can best be performed by the use of hydraulic fluid. In applications where complete irreversibility is required by means of the locking of the medium in some restricted space air is virtually useless and in such cases recourse has to be made to some form of damping, either hydraulic or mechanical, which generally adds considerably to the complexity when compared with a straight hydraulic system. Also, in systems which call for small dead beat movements the consumption of compressed air is often unacceptable. On the other hand the medium itself does not constitute a fire risk, is readily replaced in flight in the case of small leakages and is responsible for quite a small expenditure in terms of engine power.
E.A. Boyd and D.J. Johns
Many colleges wish to demonstrate aeroelastic phenomena and require only qualitative answers. For this purpose the more easily constructed the model the better.
Prime‐movers of the type having propulsive ducts at the ends of rotating radial arms constitute the power plant of a helicopter.
Richard Badu, Moses Teye, Richard Kwasi Bannor and Fuseini Awal
This paper aims to seek the understanding and opinion of meat consumers and Islamic scholars in Ghana, on preslaughter stunning of livestock, and its effects on meat patronage by…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to seek the understanding and opinion of meat consumers and Islamic scholars in Ghana, on preslaughter stunning of livestock, and its effects on meat patronage by consumers.
Design/methodology/approach
A total of 170 meat consumers and 19 Islamic Scholars were interviewed to examine their perception and levels of understanding of pre-slaughter stunning of livestock, and whether stunning had any influence on their meat purchasing decisions. Descriptive statistics and Probit regression model were used to analyse the data obtained.
Findings
It was observed that majority (94.4%) of the meat consumers had no idea on what pre-slaughter stunning of livestock entails. However, 32.7% concurred that stunning is capable of reducing the pain associated with neck cutting of slaughter animals. Evidence from the Probit analysis suggested that variables such as age, marital status, religion, source of meat, product label and Muslims’ religiosity negatively influenced the willingness to consume meat from animals stunned prior to slaughter. In contrast, variables such as gender, knowledge on stunning, beef as the preferred meat, pain reduction and knowledge on stunning, positively influenced the willingness to consume same. The level of education and knowledge on pre-stunning is associated with the acceptance of pre-slaughter stunning of livestock among Islamic Scholars
Research limitations/implications
Even though the study is Islamic oriented, majority of the respondents except the Islamic scholars were non-Muslims. Given this, the implications of the study have been differentiated for both Muslims and non-Muslims.
Practical implications
The findings present an opportunity for researchers, retailers and Islamic scholars to increase education around different slaughter technologies so that consumers can understand these methods to make informed purchasing decisions. Higher educational institutions such as agriculture and veterinary schools can also use the findings to develop future modules around animal welfare. The research can also inform governments, non-governmental organisations and retailers in the formulation of future policies on animal welfare. Further research is also needed to investigate the welfare aspects of slaughter with and without stunning and how to address any lapses in animal welfare.
Social implications
From animal welfare standpoint, the results may be interpreted to imply that consumers’ purchasing decisions are not based on animal welfare indices. From halal perspective, it implies that Muslims are consuming products that may have been slaughtered using stunning techniques that contravene the rules of halal slaughter.
Originality/value
Despite the popularity of pre-slaughter stunning and relative literature in the industrialised world, it appears to be less researched in developing countries like Ghana. Besides, there is a lack of consensus among Islamic jurists in interpreting Islamic scriptures on pre-stunning. Nevertheless, there is a paucity of studies on the reasons apart from the interpretation of Islamic scriptures, which influences Islamic scholars' stance on pre-stunning in Ghana.
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Awal Fuseini, Phil Hadley and Toby Knowles
Because of the economic significance of the Halal meat market, many food business operators have started trading in Halal meat products. Some businesses rely solely on the…
Abstract
Purpose
Because of the economic significance of the Halal meat market, many food business operators have started trading in Halal meat products. Some businesses rely solely on the services of Halal certification bodies (HCBs) to assure Halal consumers as to the authenticity of Halal meat products. However, the lack of unified national or global Halal standards has resulted in confusion as to what is authentic Halal. This paper aims to survey HCBs in the UK to highlight the major differences between the various Halal standards with regard to Halal meat production.
Design/methodology/approach
Out of 15 HCBs that the authors contacted, 9 agreed to participate in the study. Respondents were asked to indicate what slaughter practices are acceptable according to their standard and further indicate if their respective organisations carried out speciation testing to detect the presence of foreign deoxyribonucleic acid in certified Halal products.
Findings
All nine certifiers indicated that they owned and operated according to a written Halal standard. The majority of certifiers indicated that they accepted pre-slaughter stunning if the stunning did not result in the death of animals prior to exsanguination, a Muslim should perform the slaughter and a short prayer must be recited and only manual (by hand) slaughter is acceptable.
Research limitations/implications
The findings give an insight into acceptable and prohibited procedures during Halal meat production in the UK. Abattoir operators, meat processors and retailers can use this as a guide when selecting suitable Halal certifiers for their businesses.
Originality/value
The study reveals that there are a number of HCBs in the UK who are all operating according to the different interpretation of the Halal dietary laws. The paper further highlights the different slaughter procedures that are acceptable and prohibited to different certifiers.
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Jan Mei Soon and Carol Wallace
Food businesses provide Halal food to cater to the dietary requirements of Muslims, especially in communities with a growing number of the ethnic minority and at public…
Abstract
Purpose
Food businesses provide Halal food to cater to the dietary requirements of Muslims, especially in communities with a growing number of the ethnic minority and at public institutions such as higher education establishments. A large and growing body of literature has investigated the purchasing and consumption behaviour of Halal food, and there are also studies that revealed consumers who do not support Halal food products on the grounds of animal welfare where animals were slaughtered without stunning. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to examine the predictors of purchasing intention of Halal food products and perceptions of animal welfare among Muslims and non-Muslim consumers of a public higher education institution.
Design/methodology/approach
An online questionnaire collected information on sociodemographic profiles and importance of Halal food. Descriptive statistics were used to determine the frequency of distribution of all sociodemographic characteristics. Multiple regression analyses were used to describe the theory of planned behaviour relationship and purchasing intention.
Findings
The regression model for all the respondents explained about 73 per cent of the variance of the intent to purchase Halal foods where R2 = 0.724 (adjusted R2 = 0.72). This was significantly different from zero F(3, 185) = 162.130, p < 0.001. Both Muslim and non-Muslim consumers’ attitudes were significant predictors of their purchasing intention of Halal foods (β = 0.87, p < 0.001). The implications of subjective norms and perceived behavioural control and the lack of influence from these predictors are discussed.
Originality/value
This study revealed that both Muslim and non-Muslim consumers agreed on the importance of animal welfare, but there exist differences in perceptions of animal welfare in Halal meat production. This research is of value to those working in regulatory and food service settings in understanding the differences and needs of consumers, and it contributes to a better understanding of the customers within a university setting.
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It is the expectation of Halal consumers that the meat they buy in retail shops and restaurants are ethically and legally reared and slaughtered in approved premises to protect…
Abstract
Purpose
It is the expectation of Halal consumers that the meat they buy in retail shops and restaurants are ethically and legally reared and slaughtered in approved premises to protect animal welfare and public health. While this may be the case in multinational and well-established supermarkets due to due diligence on the part of retailers, there is evidence to suggest that some independent retail shops and ethnic restaurants in the UK partake in selling meat from illegally slaughtered animals. It is a crime that involves many players, but usually masterminded by rural entrepreneurs, including rogue farmers who supply the animals for illegal slaughter and further processing into smokies, or as part of the Islamic festival of Qurbani, in makeshift abattoirs. The purpose of this paper is to highlight illegal slaughter of sheep for the Halal market and how these impacts on food integrity and animal welfare.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper examines the legality of slaughter in accordance with UK animal welfare and food safety legislations. The documentary research approach is adopted to examine available information on the activities of organised criminal gangs in the production of smokies and their possible involvement in Qurbani fraud.
Findings
This paper demonstrates the involvement of some rogue farmers who are facilitating the smokies trade and illegal slaughter of sheep during the Qurbani sacrifice. It is worth noting that while these illegal activities occur in the Halal sector, the perpetrators are not always Muslims. The processing of illegally slaughtered sheep takes place in unhygienic conditions which is of food safety, public health concern and may violate the religious rules around slaughter.
Originality/value
Illegal slaughter for the Muslim sacrifice of Qurbani is underreported, this paper aims to highlight the animal welfare and food safety aspects of this type of slaughter, in addition to those slaughtered for smokies production.