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

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.
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.