ABSTRACT
AsindicatedintheprecedingChapter,therehasbeenadramaticincreaseofinterest ontheconceptofsocialsupportsincethe1970sandthisinteresthastriggeredoff afloodofresearchandpublicationsonthetopic.However,mostoftheresearch conductedonsocialsupportwerecarriedoutintheWestandweremostlyreliant uponconceptualframeworksandmeasurementinstrumentsdevelopedintheWest. Littlehasbeendonetodatetoresearchonissuesrelatingtosocialsupportin ChinesesocietiesandthereforeourunderstandingofsocialsupportintheChinese contextremainslimited.Itispreciselybecauseoftherealizationofthissignificant gapinknowledgethatIhavebecomeinterestedandmotivatedtoembarkonthe presentstudy.
