Explaining Chinese identification in Hong Kong: the role of beliefs about group malleability

Hong Kong is an epicentre of identity conflicts in China. While numerous accounts have been proposed to explain the rise of "localism", few have explained why many Hong Kong Chinese have maintained their ethnic identification with China. Based on an original survey of a representative samp...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Ethnic and racial studies 2020-01, Vol.43 (2), p.371-389
Main Author: Lee, Siu-yau
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Belief & doubt
Beliefs
Chinese
College students
Conflict
Cultural differences
Ethnic identity
Ethnicity
Hong Kong
Identity
Identity management
Localism
nation
Nation building
National identity
Nationalism
Political development
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Summary:Hong Kong is an epicentre of identity conflicts in China. While numerous accounts have been proposed to explain the rise of "localism", few have explained why many Hong Kong Chinese have maintained their ethnic identification with China. Based on an original survey of a representative sample of the population and an experiment conducted among college students, this article advances a novel explanation, arguing that people who perceive the core character of groups as shaped by context (i.e. it is malleable) are more likely to have a higher level of Chinese identification. The explanation is that in the face of deep cultural and political differences between mainland and Hong Kong Chinese, the belief induces the latter to understand those differences as stemming from people's current situations rather than from some unchangeable national traits, thus reducing their need to adopt an alternative identity. The findings have important implications on (ethno) nation-building policies.
ISSN:0141-9870
1466-4356
DOI:10.1080/01419870.2019.1583352