This paper aims to outline the experience of choosing an appropriate methodology from the potential qualitative methods for studying acculturative experiences amongst a group of…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to outline the experience of choosing an appropriate methodology from the potential qualitative methods for studying acculturative experiences amongst a group of non-Chinese young people in Hong Kong. It delineates the reasons for choosing phenomenography for researching their lived acculturative experiences. The paper also briefly explains the advantages of phenomenographic research and advocates it as a potential qualitative method for investigating diverse trajectories of acculturative experiences amongst ethnic minority/immigrant populations in multicultural contexts.
Design/methodology/approach
Researchers have investigated the acculturation of immigrant youth across settlement societies using different theoretical frameworks, approaches, scales, surveys and questionnaires. However, little attention has been given to the research methodologies that focus on lived human experiences across acculturating groups. By adopting an integrative literature review approach, this paper examines phenomenography as one of the potential qualitative research methods to explore ethnic minority lives in multicultural contexts.
Findings
Given that acculturation is a heterogeneous social phenomenon, phenomenography can help address the issues and limitations inherent to the traditional methodological approaches to studying acculturation amongst youth with ethnic minority and immigrant backgrounds.
Practical implications
Researchers in comparative, intercultural and multicultural education may benefit from phenomenography by exploring the different ways immigrants and ethnic minority populations experience acculturation in multicultural contexts.
Originality/value
This paper outlines the authors' first-hand experiences who sought to identify an appropriate qualitative research method for studying acculturative experiences amongst a group of non-Chinese secondary school students in Hong Kong. Based on their extensive research experiences in the interpretative research tradition, the authors propose phenomenography as a promising method for exploring the diverse trajectories of acculturation amongst ethnic minority and immigrant youth in multicultural contexts.
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Developing a sense of belonging among immigrant youth in multicultural contexts has attracted significant attention from scholars during the last few decades. Studies have already…
Abstract
Purpose
Developing a sense of belonging among immigrant youth in multicultural contexts has attracted significant attention from scholars during the last few decades. Studies have already underscored how various educational factors hinder or facilitate students’ sense of belonging to the school or the larger society. Although most students in Hong Kong schools are ethnic Chinese, a significant number of non-Chinese children make students diversity an essential aspect of schooling. The study investigated how schools can develop a sense of belonging among ethnic minority youth in Hong Kong.
Design/methodology/approach
As the education system in Hong Kong lacks a multicultural education policy, how can schools help develop a sense of belonging to the school and the larger society among young ethnic minority people? To answer this question, this paper consolidates the two sets of data originally gathered for two research projects. The data was collected through semi-structured in-depth interviews with nine secondary school teachers (Chinese and non-Chinese) and 15 students (non-Chinese) and analysed thematically.
Findings
The thematic analysis of the qualitative data identified several challenges and opportunities for developing ethnic minority students’ sense of belonging in Hong Kong.
Research limitations/implications
Researchers in comparative education can further explore how multicultural education and inclusive education approach together can help ensure inclusive and equitable quality education for all and cater to students' diverse learning needs across the education systems.
Practical implications
Given that the aims of multicultural education and inclusive education resonate with each other, schools can focus on the Whole School Approach to developing a sense of belonging among ethnic minority youth in Hong Kong. However, policymakers and practitioners may need to adopt a multifaceted perspective on inclusive education that strives to ensure equitable quality education for all.
Originality/value
The study contributes to the existing body of scholarship on multicultural education and inclusive education. The study findings underscore the importance of an interdisciplinary research framework in education and advocate an integrative approach to supporting students with diverse learning needs in multicultural contexts.
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Chun-Chi Peng, Kuei-Shu Hsu, Ming-Guo Her, Yen-Chia Peng, Jinn-Feng Jiang and Yi-Jie Chen
The purpose of this paper is to develop an early fire-alarm raising system based on video processing, and combine it with the omnidirectional projecting system. It not only gives…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to develop an early fire-alarm raising system based on video processing, and combine it with the omnidirectional projecting system. It not only gives alarm immediately in early fire so that people can be able to strive for more time to escape from the spot, but also solves problem of discontinued screen which was presented fire scene.
Design/methodology/approach
The smoke detection system is made by image processing. The flowchart of smoke detection is improved, which the method of background updating can filter out the moving objects that only stay for a short time in the image; and avoids these objects being determined to be the background. Moreover, the authors extract the flickering area to separate the non-smoke and smoke from the candidate of smoke regions. Finally, the image processing is applied in omnidirectional projecting system, then presented the 360-degree fire scene.
Findings
The results show that the smoke detection system can accurately detect the smoke and mark its location, then combining it with the omnidirectional projecting system, although the resolution of omnidirectional projecting system is not enough, it can present a continued screen and location of smoke on the 360-degree cylindrical screen.
Originality/value
This paper develops the smoke detection based on a improved method of image processing, and the control center staff can see the 360-degree fire scene via omnidirectional projecting system, so shorten the time to find the source of smoke.
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In a liberal‐democracy, the legislature serves as the democratic arm of the state while the courts serve as the principal protectors of liberal values. There is the potential for…
Abstract
In a liberal‐democracy, the legislature serves as the democratic arm of the state while the courts serve as the principal protectors of liberal values. There is the potential for conflict between the will of the majority and the rights of individuals and minorities. Legislatures may adopt a detached role, intervening on occasion to give voice to public dissatisfaction with judicial decisions designed to protect human rights, or instead decide to engage in the process of discuss ing and protecting human rights. This paper provides the results of an empirical study of legislatures in European states that are signatories to the European Convention on Human Rights. It employs a simple dichotomous variable of whether or not a legislature has a human rights committee. Though approximately half the legislatures studied have human rights committees, the proportion is greater among the legislatures in southern, central and eastern Europe. The paper concludes by considering the case for greater engagement by legislatures in other countries.
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Bala Ramasamy, Alan Au and Matthew Yeung
This paper aims to demonstrate the degree of dissimilarities among Chinese individuals' value profiles by using data collected from Shanghai and Hong Kong.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to demonstrate the degree of dissimilarities among Chinese individuals' value profiles by using data collected from Shanghai and Hong Kong.
Design/methodology/approach
The shortened version of the Rokeach Value Survey for consumer research by Munson and McQuarrie was used. The data collection was done by distributing copies of questionnaires to researchers' contacts who worked at financial intuitions, e.g. banks, brokers and insurance agencies in Shanghai and Hong Kong.
Findings
The current study demonstrates the degree of dissimilarities among Chinese individuals' value profiles by using data collected from Shanghai and Hong Kong.
Research limitations/implications
The study selects two developed cities of China only and the samples from the two cities are relatively small.
Practical implications
The results imply that value‐based information should be used together with demographic information for segmenting the market. The study suggests the number of segments for Shanghai and Hong Kong.
Originality/value
This study explains the significance of studying values in the context of market segmentation, particularly among Chinese populations.