Reading Hong Kong Chinese culture: Hybridity or eclecticism, a matter of contemporary configuration

This thesis investigates the Cultural Studies paradigm \u27hybridity\u27 through an analysis of Hong Kong culture. In Cultural Studies, \u27hybridity\u27 is usually applied to cultures that have been influenced by another culture, resulting in a loss of identity, leading to a cultural mixture. As a former Colony comprising predominantly of a southern Chinese population, Hong Kong has been influenced by British culture. However, the question is whether Hong Kong culture has been \u27hybridises\u27, or, the Hong Kong people, in mastering two cultures, have become bicultural, and use their biculturalism bilaterally, as particular situations require. The study also researches the condition of Hong Kong culture when exported overseas through migration, and remigration, especially among Chinese. Other areas researched are Hong Kong culture\u27s relationship to identity and ethnicity through film and language. The primary research data is sourced from surveys and interviews with Hong Kong Chinese people in Australia and Hong Kong. Secondary sources include written media, computer generated media, film, and television. The research uses a multiple design format of field: historical; content analysis; textual analysis; forensic, and anecdotal material. The findings will show that Hong Kong culture is dominated by Chinese cultures rather than Western culture and as such may not be regarded as a \u27hybrid\u27 culture, but as a conglomerate of independently used cultures. My research findings challenge the validity of the Cultural Studies use of hybridity in association with colonialism, and opens the way for other cultures designated as \u27hybrid\u27 to be re-examined within a similar research framework to this study

Motivation and achievement in science : a study of junior secondary school Chinese students in Hong Kong

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Cultural identity in Hong Kong as reflected through demeanor.

Yau, Sin Yee Christine."November 2010."Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2011.Includes bibliographical references (p. 210-229).Abstracts in English and Chinese.Abstract --- p.iAcknowledge --- p.iiiChapter 1. --- Introduction --- p.1Background: --- p.6What is Demeanor? --- p.6What is Resistance? --- p.8Who are they? --- p.9Chapter - --- Heunggongyahn --- p.9Chapter - --- Daaihlohkyahn --- p.10Chapter - --- Gwailou --- p.11Research Significance --- p.12Literature Review: --- p.13Demeanor: Cultural Knowledge --- p.14Demeanor: Embodiment and Presentation of Cultural Identities --- p.16Politicizing Demeanor: Struggling for Power and Conveying Messages --- p.17Hong Kong Identity: Its Shaping Process --- p.19Methodology: --- p.21Entering the Field: Daily Observation --- p.21Pilot Test --- p.22"In-depth, Semi-structured, and Structured Interviews" --- p.23Participant Observation --- p.24Organization of the Thesis --- p.25Informants' Details --- p.28Chapter 2. --- Heunggongyahn and Daaihlohkyahn --- p.30Introduction --- p.30"Pride: Certain Demeanor as ""Superior"" Prestige" --- p.31The Prestige in Not Disturbing Others --- p.32"The Prestige in Sitting ""Properly"": Preserving City's Image" --- p.34"The Prestige in Having Gungdaksam, Public Virtue" --- p.41The Prestige in Keeping some Distance from Strangers --- p.43The Prestige in Endurance and Keeping Quiet: Saving Face --- p.44"Prejudice: Certain Demeanor as ""Inferior"" Stigma" --- p.47The Stigma of Squatting --- p.48The Stigma of Public Excretion --- p.56The Stigma of Nose Picking --- p.62The Stigma of Spitting --- p.63Conclusion --- p.67Chapter 3. --- My Informants' Everyday Life --- p.69Introduction --- p.69"The Civilizing Process: Demeanor as a ""Linear Evolution""" --- p.70"Using Seat-Toilets ""Properly""" --- p.71Lining up --- p.76Demeanor as Capital --- p.81Cultural Capital --- p.81Symbolic Capital --- p.83Social Capital --- p.86"My Informants' Sense of ""Shame""" --- p.88"""We are from Hong Kong""" --- p.89Cultural Identity is Presented: Conscious Performance --- p.92Cultural Identity is Embodied: the Practice of Eye Contacts --- p.98General Rule: Avoid Eye Contact --- p.98Complaints Conveyed: Be (睥)，Stare --- p.101Conclusion --- p.103Chapter 4. --- Hong Kong Cultural Identity --- p.105Introduction --- p.105Changing Relationships --- p.106Political Situation --- p.106Economic Situation --- p.113Social Situation --- p.118The Cultural Identity of Heunggongyahn --- p.123"Senses of ""Superiority"" and ""Inferiority"":" --- p.135Economic Differences --- p.136Levels of Corruption --- p.138Mass Media's Portrayals --- p.139Freedom and Rights --- p.140The Long Separation --- p.142"The ""Middle Class"" Mentality of Heunggongyahn" --- p.143The Return of Sovereignty: Double Colonization --- p.146"The Border in Our Heads: One Country, Two Castes" --- p.149Conclusion --- p.152Chapter 5. --- "Demeanor, Emotions and Resistance" --- p.154Introduction --- p.154Double/ Multiple Standards --- p.155Squatting Practiced by Non-Mainlanders --- p.155Nose Picking Practiced by Non-Mainlanders --- p.157Jumping the Queue Practiced by Non-Mainlanders --- p.159Complicated Emotions --- p.162Love --- p.163Anxiety --- p.165Hatred --- p.167Discontent --- p.168Demeanor as Social Marginalization: Mainlanders as Scapegoats --- p.170The Official Discrimination against Mainland Chinese --- p.170The Malignant Portrayal of Mainland Chinese --- p.172Vitriolic Criticisms towards Mainlanders --- p.174Consequence: Social Marginalization of Mainlanders --- p.177Fears and Concerns of Heunggongyahn: --- p.1791949-1976 --- p.179After 1976 --- p.181"Identity, Emotions and Resistance" --- p.184"Demeanor as ""Weapons of the Weak""" --- p.187Demeanor as Symbolic Violence --- p.189Conclusion --- p.192Chapter 6. --- Conclusion --- p.194The Case of Hong Kong --- p.197"""Mainlander"" as an Adjective" --- p.199"The ""Residue"" of Political Wants?" --- p.200Would the Repugnance Be Alleviated? --- p.201Power Struggle --- p.202Forms of Resistance --- p.203The Politics of Cultural Identity --- p.204Afterthoughts: The Reproduction of Cultural Identity --- p.205Appendix I --- p.207Appendix II --- p.208Glossary --- p.209Bibliography --- p.21

The education of the ideal citizens: an ethnographic study of two schools in Hong Kong

Soon after the political handover in 1997, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government had introduced a series of education and curriculum reforms. Such reforms is said to be proceeded in response to teenagers' lack of national identification towards their motherland China, and also to the public discourse addressing the economic challenges and competition in the universal trend of globalization. Although a few studies had unveiled the underlying values of Confucianism, neo- liberalism and market ideology under these objectives, how the new definitions of "ideal citizens" is understood and promoted in the actual school settings, and how those values influence the process of students' identity construction and their vision on their life trajectories, remains unknown.Drawing on the data from an ethnographic research conducted in 2010, this thesis illustrates how the qualities of an "ideal citizen" propagated in the education and curriculum reform would be understood and transformed in two very different schools in Hong Kong. One is a long- established girls' school located in a middle - class district, which has a reputation of providing "all- rounded" education and nurturing future woman -leaders; the other one is being considered as a "academically -low band" school located in remote area, which struggled to survive and started to admit "Non- Chinese speaking" (NCS) students from Pakistan, Nepal and Philippines three years ago in order to solve the problem of insufficient intake of local students. Apart from the half -year participant- observation in the two campuses, in -depth interviews of the 2 school principals, 13 teachers, 19 students and 2 alumni of the two schools have also been conducted. Other school documents including official school magazines, school reports as well as students' publications have also been collected as supporting information.Due to the different historical background, the school management strategy and most of all, the composition of students from very different socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds, the two schools had developed very different ideas and definition of an "ideal citizen ", and thus led to different directions of school policies and expectations on students. Through the examples of the provision of the "Other learning Experience" (OLE) and students' participation patterns in Chapter Five, the different language policies and students' ability in languages in Chapter Six, and the process of the construction of femininities of young girls in Chapter Seven, this study shows how the problematic of class, gender and ethnics domination still exist under the new context of education reform. This study also reveals that while Hong Kong policy - maker claimed that the education reform `bears upon the equity and balance of our society', the socio- economic backgrounds, ethnicity and gender which traditionally being viewed as factors that differentiate education outcomes in sociological studies are completely ignored in the reform

Seeking an ideal wife: why Hong Kong men pursue mainland Chinese spouses.

Li Wai-ki Viki.Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2002.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 182-190).Abstracts in English and Chinese.Abstract --- p.iAcknowledgments --- p.ivNote --- p.viiChapter Chapter 1 --- Introduction --- p.1Historical BackgroundStructure of ThesisLiterature ReviewMethodologyProblems EncounteredDo People Tell the Truth?Fieldsite一Why Shenzhen?Chapter Chapter 2 --- "The ""Superior"" Hong Kong Chinese" --- p.35Construction of Hong Kong IdentityHong Kong People's Views of MainlandersHong Kong People's Views of Cross-border MarriagesHow Do Mainland Chinese View Themselves?Hong Kong Identity Card as Symbolic CapitalGrading of EthnicityConclusionChapter Chapter 3 --- Hong Kong Men --- p.64Who is More Inclined to Marry a Mainland Woman?What are Hong Kong Men Looking for in a Wife?Mainland Women vs. Hong Kong WomenHong Kong Men's Attitude Toward MarriageHong Kong Men's Sense of Masculinity and FemininityPower Relation between Husband and WifeYuhn Fahn Decides Who is Miss RightChapter Chapter 4 --- Mainland Women Who Seek Hong Kong Husbands --- p.96Who is More Inclined to Marry a Hong Kong Man?What are Mainland Women Looking for in a Husband?Mainland Women's Attitude toward MarriageHong Kong Men vs. Mainland Men"Who are the Most Desirable Husbands, After All?"Constructed Reality vs. Actual RealityConclusionChapter Chapter 5 --- When Hong Kong Men Meet Mainland Women --- p.125The Trip to ZhanjiangThe Magazine VersionConclusionChapter Chapter 6 --- Conclusion --- p.157Relationship between Hong Kong People and Mainland MigrantsPossible Trends in Marriage PatternsAppendices --- p.175Bibliography --- p.18

Perceptions and teachings of national identity and national education : case studies of Hong Kong's secondary school teachers

Since the resumption of sovereignty by China in 1997, national identification with China has been a priority in Hong Kong SAR government's education policy agenda. Hong Kong has seen an increase of National Education programmes and activities which aim at cultivating a Chinese national identity based on ethnic and cultural terms. Since then, National Education has been promoted as an informal curriculum which is usually comprised of extra-curricular programmes or activities specifically devoted to cultivation of a Chinese national identity. It can be differentiated from formal subject curriculum. In 2010, the Chief Executive announced implementing a compulsory Moral and National Education in all primary and secondary schools. This qualitative multiple-case study research falls in the field of citizenship education and attempts to explore the perceptions and teachings of national identity and National Education of 10 purposive samples of Hong Kong secondary school teachers, since secondary schools prepare students to be a youth citizen. The data collection was done in 2009-2010. The research participants come from different subsidy types (i.e. how much subsidy they get from the government on an annual basis), religious and sponsoring backgrounds (i.e. Catholic, Protestant, Buddhism, Confucius, Taoism, charity, professional and Chinese provincial bodies), and regions (i.e. Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, and New Territories). This study does not generalize findings beyond the sample cases to any population. Rather, it focuses on a sample of experienced, informative and illustrative secondary school teachers' perceptions on the topic. They were selected for their perceived abilities and willingness to provide the most valuable and insightful data that fit the purposes of this study, i.e. perceptions of national identity and National Education (i.e. meanings, aims, contents, pedagogies and evaluation methods)