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Morale in Relation to Caring and Social Exclusion in Society

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Abstract

Morale, as a future-oriented indicator of well-being, is susceptible to caring and social exclusion in society, with respect to social integration theory. The influences of caring and social exclusion perceived in society merit the concern of the present study. In addition, the study explores personal background characteristics as conditions for moderating the influences. A telephone survey of 1,526 adults in Hong Kong in China provided data for the study. Results demonstrated the main effects of caring and social exclusion perceived in society on morale and conditions that moderated the effects. The strongest condition is age, such that social exclusion was particularly demoralizing to the older person. In contrast, the person’s wealth did not have a main effect on morale. Results therefore favor the idealist explanation rather than materialist explanation for morale.

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Acknowledgments

The paper evolves from a research grant by the City University of Hong (Project number: 7002405).

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  1. Department of Applied Social Studies, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong, China

    Chau-kiu Cheung

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Appendix: Question Items

Appendix: Question Items

Morale: how much did you have the following in the recent month?

Expecting boredom in future (reverse scoring)

Feeling getting old gradually (reverse scoring)

Making plans for future life

Expecting some pleasant things to happen

Caring perceived in society: how much did you experience the following in the past 3 months?

Hong Kong people’s discrimination against people with disabilities (reverse scoring)

Hong Kong people’s taking care of poor people

Hong Kong people’s taking care of people who are suffering

Hong Kong people’s taking care of new arrivals

Social exclusion perceived in society: How much did you experience the following in the past 3 months?

Hong Kong people’s opportunity for leaving poverty (reverse scoring)

Hong Kong people’s income equality (reverse scoring)

Hong Kong people’s ability to purchase a house (reverse scoring)

Hong Kong people’s wide gap between the poor and the rich

Hong Kong people’s opportunity to get rich (reverse scoring)

Hong Kong people’s poverty

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Cheung, Ck. Morale in Relation to Caring and Social Exclusion in Society. Soc Indic Res 113, 471–490 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-012-0105-x

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