ABSTRACT
Before giving detailed presentation of the study, a brief account of the fieldwork and methodology is necessary. In this chapter, I will first explain the rationale in using Chaozhou (also known as Teochiu, Chiuchow or Chiuchau) merchants and long-established families in Hong Kong as two major reference groups. Then, I will outline the procedure used in formulating the research idea, the process of gathering data and the application of scientific methodology. After that, I will briefly describe some of the respondents in order to provide some background about these targeted groups. In the second part of this chapter, attention will be given to the longestablished families by sketching out the developmental path they generally followed. Some special mechanisms adopted by this group of families to overcome crises at different times will also be addressed briefly. To begin with, let us discuss the rationale in formulating the research idea.
