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Local Identity at Risk: Nation-Building in China’s Guangzhou, Macao, and Hong Kong Bill Chou

Local Identity at Risk: Nation-Building in China’s Guangzhou, Macao, and Hong Kong Bill Chou Department of Government and Public Administration University of Macau. Identity: defined as a sense of common history and culture shared by the communities within a natural or man-made boundary

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Local Identity at Risk: Nation-Building in China’s Guangzhou, Macao, and Hong Kong Bill Chou

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  1. Local Identity at Risk: Nation-Building in China’s Guangzhou, Macao, and Hong Kong Bill Chou Department of Government and Public Administration University of Macau

  2. Identity: defined as a sense of common history and culture shared by the communities within a natural or man-made boundary • Identity may be centered on regions, religion, blood ties, food, or ethnicities. • It may emerge naturally (i.e. ethnic identity) or be created by state (i.e. civic identity)

  3. Regional identity as a relative concept Local Identity National Identity [-----------------------------------------------------] HK Macao Guang- zhou

  4. The autonomy in expressing and developing local identities in Greater China is contingent on the proximity to the political center of Beijing. The closer to Beijing politically, the weaker the local identity is. • Under the unitary system of an authoritarian state, Guangzhou has the least autonomy in developing local identities. • With its civil society being largely pro-China in its outlook, Macao manifests a higher degree of integration with China’s national identity than Hong Kong does. • Hong Kong’s local identity faces serious challenges with looming Chinese influence in political, economic, and social spheres.

  5. B. Local identities of Guangzhou • Distinctive local identity due to vast distance from the political center and exposure to foreign influence. • The integration of local identities with the national identity since 17th century: folk religion, spread of education, languages. • Local identity is threatened by internal migration, the national education policy, and the pragmatic consideration of learning Mandarin and English.

  6. 4. The use of local dialects in public space is restricted. • The use of Cantonese in television and radio broadcast requires the approval from provincial or central governments. • Local leaders have to use Mandarin in public events. • Some schools prohibit their students to use Cantonese.

  7. C. Local identity in Macau • Rule of Portuguese started in 1553 until 1999. Macau population is formed by migrants, and therefore a coherent sense of local identity is hardly formed until recently.

  8. 2. Portuguese controlled the public administration whilst pro-Beijing societal forces were predominant in civil society and education after 1966. The school curriculum of history and language are weakly regulated even nowadays. 3. The decline of Patuá – a language spoken by fewer than 50 people. 4. Despite weaker than national identity of China, a local identity was emerging.

  9. a. Promotion of Macao’s cultural heritage for cultural tourism.

  10. b. Economic prosperity

  11. c. Social tension with the increasing presence of mainland Chinese visitors.

  12. Over-crowdedness caused by mainland visitors

  13. c. Nostalgia amidst the demise of old life style.

  14. D. Local identity in Hong Kong 1. Local identity did not emerge in the 1970s amidst rapid development of economy and pop culture.

  15. 2. National identity of China was restricted due to the colonial policy of de-politicizing since the 1950s (Cold War). 3. The rise of China and national education after 1997 enhanced Hong Kong people’s national identity.

  16. Ethnic Identity of HK People (From 1997 onwards)

  17. 4. Local identity re-emerge amidst: The increasing presence of Chinese visitors The increasing Chinese government’s influence on Hong Kong politics perceived as assault to local identities

  18. 5. Subtle government effort to demonize/ belittle Cantonese a. Education TV b. Education Bureau: “Cantonese is a Chinese dialect, not official language”, ignoring the reality that UNESCO designated Cantonese as a language in 2010.

  19. c. Phasing in using Mandarin to teach Chinese literature in schools. d. Phasing in national education, criticized to be brain-washing students with the state-sanctioned views of Chinese history and culture.

  20. Anti-National Education Campaign (2011 – 2012)

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