Step Up Infinity Case Study

Micro Level
Participants of the Step Up Infinity project have a common interest in dancing and common goal in performing well in their upcoming performances. Under the tutor’s way of teaching, participants were not simply as followers, but an active participant in the training by having positions or duties in group. For example, the tutor would find influential participants to become a spiritual leader or a peace-maker of the group. Participants remind each other about the commencement and details of training. A participant said that before joining the program, he used to focus on his own performance; but after joining the program and having the sense of togetherness, he started to change his attitudes and believe that teamwork is what matters
Participants felt assured in sharing their thoughts and feelings with social workers and dancing tutors. While social workers serve as a bridging capital that brought chances and out-group information to participants, the shared background and experience between the tutors and participants have also made the tutor both a bridging and bonding capital for participants with a close relationship. The similar experience has made the tutor a “reachable” role model for participants that the participants expressed their appreciation on the tutor and are learning positive traits from the tutor. Having a connected and “down-to-earth” role model to look up to is believed to be particularly useful in strengthening participants’ acceptance of social norms and advocates positive behavioural changes such as
Other than being tutor for project’s participants, participants who get a promotion were arranged to be tutor for disadvantageous groups and schools in the district too. This gives participants opportunities to approach people with a diverse background, which helps to improve their out-group understanding and bridging capital with other communities in the society. Through such tutoring and volunteering program, participants also learned that they have the ability and obligation to contribute to the society and hence building up a reciprocating value, as well as a sense of belonging to the community and society as well.
Other than disadvantageous group, participants also built linking capital by meeting celebrities and key players in community through performances in New Territories, Kowloon and Hong Kong Island. For instance, they have performed with singers such as Wong Chee Hynn and Tang Wing Chee, met members of Rotary Club, District Councillors or young entrepreneurs, as well as performing for Hong Kong Watch & Clock Council and Northern District Fight Crime Carnival. This again helped participants to get in touch with people from different social status, hence the enhanced sense of belonging to the community and