Mobilizing healthcare resources through social capital: The case of ethnic minority cancer patients in Hong Kong

Abstract

Social researchers have long been suggesting that social capital could generate positive effects for cancer patients on their health and well-being, and to give a better idea on how to cope with cancer and their post-treatment recovery. Using Woolcock’s (1998) framework of social capital – ‘social bonds’ (i.e. the connections within a community as defined by ethnical or religious identity), ‘social links’ (i.e. engagement with institutions, agencies and services) and ‘social bridges’ (i.e. social connections with those of other social groups) as the conceptual framework, this presentation aims to discuss how members of the ethnic minorities cope with fear and anxiety, health illiteracy, language barriers, the exhaustive medical treatment as well as the lack of materialistic resources in their cancer coping process. Drawing on in-depth interviews with twenty-eight non-Chinese cancer patients and survivors between April and September 2022, this presentation explains that social bonds among patients were predominately emerged through social media and digital device such as Facebook and WhatsApp groups. In terms of social links, although only very few ethnic minority cancer patients managed to get in touch with local NGOs, they could still receive further healthcare support from grassroot ones. As to social bridges, leaders of grassroot NGOs bridge different professions and sectors of the society and pool in the resources for their members. To conclude, this presentation suggests that the competence of utilizing healthcare resources is determined by the types of social capital that ethnic minorities cancer patients and their community leaders possess.