EXPLAINING DISABLEMENT IN MODERN TIMES - HAND-INJURED WORKERS ACCOUNTS OF THEIR INJURIES IN HONG-KONG

In this paper, an attempt is made to explore how people respond to inj uries at work among a group of hand-injured workers in the context of contemporary Hong Kong society. Qualitative research methods were adop ted. A ''focused interview'' by means of open-ended questions was empl oyed to investigate those workers who have suffered from work-related injury for over 10 years. Concerning the perceived cause of the injury , the industrial production process such as machine defects, piecework , limited working experience, and lack of supervision triggered the on set of the injuries which resulted in permanent disability. Al the sam e time, respondents tellingly explained their injury in terms of magic al-religious forces such as fate and luck. This kind of understanding is embraced in cultural beliefs that are commonly found among Chinese. Such understandings appear fatalistic but allow the individual to act ively cope with such misfortune. The emphasis on harmony and stability among Chinese also affected what action they took against the employe r for negligence. It was shown that in general many respondents were b ound by kuan-hsi (personal relationship) and tended to preserve the ha rmony between themselves and their employer. In modern societies like Hong Kong, traditional values and modern practices are complementary t o each other in coping with life stresses such as disablement. Moderni ty does not provide a solid means for people to have more control over their lives. Many people still stick to their habituated lifestyle as a guiding light in day-to-day matters. Concerning risk assessment in relation to work safety, workers' value systems and practices on the s hopfloor should be taken into consideration. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.