SOSC005

Introduction to Hong Kong Society

Offered by the Division of Social Science

Course Instructors

Dr. Agnes Ku ( 谷淑美 ) (myself) Dr. Mirana Szeto ( 司徒薇 ) Dr. Y. C. Chen ( 陳允中 ) Dr. Pun Ngai ( 潘毅 ) Dr. Ma Ngok ( 馬嶽 )

Course Content

Historical Overview

Culture & Identity

Economy & Urban Development

Government & Politics

LECTURE (1)

Hong Kong Society:

Historical Review

I. Before the 1950s: Little Sense of a HK Identity

No border control between HK and the mainland, hence freedom of movement among Chinese;

Nature of the population: mostly people coming from the mainland for work with little intention of settling down in HK;

Identity as Chinese: their homeland remaining on the mainland; seeing themselves as sojourners (e.g. “旅港” , “僑港” , “旅港 XX同鄉會” )

Sense of HK Identity by the 1990s

“HK is a “way of life”, and my sense of belonging comes from being a part of that “way of life”, taking part in the hard work that has made HK a world success today … students returning from summer trips to China exclaimed how they felt they were culturally different from people in China, and how suddenly they came to feel HK deep down.” (Lo, in #4, pp.167-68)

Sense of HK Identity by the 1990s

「活在香港，如果有甚麼共通的經驗的話，恐怕就是這樣一回事：對香港又愛又恨，總想離開，終於又返回原地 … . 這種矛盾心態，跟朋友說起，原來是普遍存在於我們這一代的心 … . 『我們這一代』，指的大抵就是六十年代前後土生土長的香港人（約於五五年至七五年出生的香港人），跟過往上一代很不同，跟八、九十年代生的，又肯定不一樣。」（李照興編 (2000) ：【香港 101 】，序一。）

II. History before the 1950s

Colonial History Social and Political Geography Population & Class Structure Economy, Society, & Political

System

Colonial History (1842-1997)

Sino-British Treaties:

• 1842: Nanking Treaty – HK Island

• 1860: The Convention of Peking – south Kowloon (south of Boundary Street)

• 1898: The Convention of Peking -- lease over north Kowloon & the New Territories for 99 years until 1997

(HK Map)

Britain’s trading interests

• a good natural harbour (Victoria Harbor)

• proximity to China

• HK as entrepôt (轉口港 ) -- commercial development & government buildings in the Central area

Population & Class Structure

Two Major Classes:

(1) Merchants – British & European merchants – Chinese merchants (racial segregation at

first; common interests later)

(2) Working class – villagers, boat people, & vendors– laborers from China (immigration flow)

(Social Divisions: Class + Race)

Nature of Colonial Rule

1. Primary focus on economic development

1. Little social welfare development (taken up by religious & charity organizations e.g. Tung Wah Hospital (東華三院 )

2. Concern with law & order (rather than political development)

1. Closed political structure: cooptation of elites into the Legislative & Executive Councils by appointment (business elites & professionals)

III. Changes after the 1950s: Emergence of HK Identity

 (1) HK-China Distinction

Birth of PRC (led by the communist party) in 1949 increasing ideological, political & socio-economic differences vis-a-vis HK

 

Global context: the Cold War ideology of “liberalism/ capitalism versus communism”

(2)Border control against Chinese

Immigration Control Bill of 1949

Waves of illegal Chinese immigration: 1950s (1949-52, 1958-62) 1967-1973 1979-80

1950s: an immigrant society with a “refugee” identity

Intensified control measures against illegal immigration in 1980 & thereafter

Increasing “us/them” distinction

(3) Internal changes in society

Economic development (industrial take-off)

• UN’s embargo on trade with China in 1951 (PRC & its part in Korean War) HK’s industrial development for export

• capital, skill, labor & entrepreneurship (Shanghai) from the immigrants

• one of Asia’s 4 “Little Dragons” by the 70s

Population growth: changing proportion between local-born & mainland-born

Turning point in HK’s history: the mass riots in 1966 & 1967

Social problems (e.g. increasing population, housing & livelihood issues)

IV. The Mass Riots in 1966 & 1967

1966 riots:

Triggering point: a small fare increase (5c in 1st class) by the Star Ferry --- livelihood issue (no clear objectives)

1967 riots (bomb attacks):

Mobilized by the leftist organizations (vs. colonialism/ capitalism) --- political issue

The 1970sAfter the Riots … (late 60s &

70s)Changing roles & policies of the government to increase legitimacy & sense of belonging:

Civic campaigns (e.g. Hong Kong Festival; Clean HK; Fight Crime; slogan: “HK is our Home”)

Welfare

Administrative reforms (district offices 民政署 )

To restore order & repress the leftist organizations

Governor MacLehose ( 麥理浩 ) {an era of community-building in the

70s}• Education:

– 1971: 6 years of free & compulsory primary education

– 1978: extended to 9 years up to Form 3

• Health & Welfare:

• Public Housing: – a 10-year housing programme in 1972

• ICAC (1974) 廉政公署

Housing before the 1960s

• Little public housing provision (welfare) by the government before the 1950s

• Growth of squatters in the 1950s ( 木屋區 )

• Numerous fires in the squatter areas (e.g. the Shek Kip Mei fire 石硤尾 in 1953 – 50,000+ people left homeless)

• First public housing provision in the 1950s as a result of the squatter fires (resettlement)

Governor MacLehose:

“300,000 people still live in squatter huts or temporary housing. Many units in resettlement estates are badly overcrowded, or have no separate wash places or lavatories … It is my conclusion that the inadequacy & scarcity of housing and all that this implies, & the harsh situations that result from it, is one of the major & constant sources of friction & unhappiness between the Government & the population. It offends alike our humanity, our civic pride & our political good sense … It is not a situation which we can accept indefinitely.” (18 Oct 1972)

Growth of a New Middle Class (born in mid-50s to mid-70s)

Public housing by the government

Opportunity for higher education

Social mobility

A new civic identity built on a modern outlook, economic prosperity, & a clean, efficient, & benevolent government

Video Show: ICAC