Browsing by Theses - Subject "Academic Qualifications"

Research on the status of academic qualification as a stigma is rare. In order to provide evidences that the status of academic qualification is prone to stigmatization, a mixed-method study comparing a sample of students with associate degree (AD) and those with bachelor degree only (BD) in Hong Kong was conducted. The purposes of this study were to investigate: (1) the evidence that the status of students with AD can be viewed as a stigma; (2) the influences of the status on their feelings of inferiority, avoidance of inferior feelings and subjective well-being. In-depth qualitative interview captured the life experiences of the students with AD background, when survey compared students with AD and BD on the inferior feelings, the avoidance of inferiority and the subjective well-being. The stigma conceptualization of Link and Phelan (2001) was applied to investigate the stigma of AD students. The qualitative findings indicated the manifestation that the status of AD students can be considered as a stigma. Compatible with the qualitative findings, the quantitative results are similar to the theoretical position that stigma induces negative influences on the stigmatized individuals. In comparison with the BD students without AD background, the results reflected that the status of AD students associated with the higher level of inferiority feeling, higher tendency of insecure striving and negative psychological affect activities. Some critical issues about the students with AD background, such as their thoughts, experiences and psychological well-being were addressed in order to enhance the understanding on their current situations. Subsequently better social and psychological services can be established to help these students in their development.

Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.) -- Hong Kong Shue Yan University, 2014.