Hong Kong Society: High-Definition Stories beyond the Spectacle of East-Meets-West

by Stephen WK Chiu, Kaxton YK Siu

Overview

This book borrows the concept of “high-definition” from digital broadcasting to highlight our unique approach to Hong Kong society, which gives a sharper image than analyses. It intends to highlight contrasts with many common and taken-for-granted stories, myths and representations of Hong Kong— which often presented with a low level of detail, lacking proper connections between grounded personal experiences and the macro social context. With chapters covering various salient dimensions of Hong Kong’s society, including migration, economy, inequality, identity and social movements, our “high-definition” approach presents images with high enough “resolution” to match multiple layers of experiences from walks of life of Hong Kong people, contributing to an understanding of how global transformation impacts local people’s experiences, as well as Hong Kong’s significance in the regional and global system.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9789811657092
Publisher:	Springer Nature Singapore
Publication date:	03/01/2022
Series:	Hong Kong Studies Reader Series
Edition description:	1st ed. 2022
Pages:	394
Product dimensions:	5.83(w) x 8.27(h) x (d)

About the Author

Stephen WK Chiu is Chair Professor of Sociology and co-director of the Academy of Hong Kong Studies at the Education University of Hong Kong. Prior to joining EdUHK, he was professor in the Department of Sociology at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. His research interests involve the sociological study of Hong Kong from a comparative and historical perspective.

Kaxton YK Siu is Associate Professor at the Department of Sociology in the Hong Kong Baptist University. He specializes in the comparative labor and migration studies of Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese and Cambodian workers, and also social policies and youth issues in Hong Kong.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Hong Kong as a Crown Jewel of the British Empire: Colonial History and Legacy.- Chapter 2: Hong Kong as an International Hub: The Rise of Hong Kong in the Modern World-System.- Chapter 3: Hong Kong as a Migration Centre: Ethnic Minorities in the Global City.- Chapter 4: Hong Kong as a Place of Conflict over Hearts and Minds: Identity Politics beyond Left and Right.- Chapter 5: Hong Kong as an Economic Miracle? The Myth of Laissez-faire and Industrialization.- Chapter 6: Hong Kong as an Asian Hollywood: Hong Kong’s Film Industry in the Golden Age and After.- Chapter 7: Hong Kong as a Land of Opportunity? Social Mobility and Inequality in a Divided Society.- Chapter 8: Hong Kong as a Battlefield for Shelter: Hong Kong’s Housing Problem and a Dual Land Regime.- Chapter 9: Hong Kong as the Safest Place in the World? From Gangland to Copland to Disneyland.- Chapter 10: Hong Kong as a City of Protest: Social Movement as Motor for Social Change.- Chapter 11: Postscript.

Editorial Reviews

Hong Kong studies is experiencing a renaissance, Chiu and Siu have produced a thought provoking work on one of the most important cities in China. China specialists should thank them for their willingness to publish a monograph that could be seen as controversial in these highly unusual times.” (Kent Wan and Gretta Huizhong Xia, China Perspectives, Issue 130, 2022)

From the Publisher