How Hong Kong's History as a Globalized City Has Created Tensions with a Culturally Hegemonic China
Open Access
Author:
Beckius, Evan
Area of Honors:
History
Degree:
Bachelor of Arts
Document Type:
Thesis
Thesis Supervisors:
Kirwin Ray Shaffer, Thesis Supervisor Sandy Feinstein, Thesis Honors Advisor
Keywords:
HongKong China CCP globalization Hong Kong Protests Hong Kong Asia globalized culture History Globalized City
Abstract:
Since its handover to China in 1997, the city of Hong Kong and the Chinese Communist Party have been embroiled in a cultural conflict. While there are many causes for the outbreak of conflict, one stands over the others: globalization. Throughout their history, China and Hong Kong have had drastically different relationships with globalization, with China pushing against some accepts to keep full control over its society, and Hong Kong being created by a globalized empire for purpose of global trade and embracing that economic niche. To prove the importance of globalization in this conflict, this thesis seeks to unravel the history both entities have had with globalization, pinpointing important political, economic, and cultural facets within both Hong Kong and China, and then relating them to the modern conflict. Examples include economic planning, governance style, and responses to modern culture. Ultimately the thesis attempts to prove how as our world becomes more and more globalized there will become an increasing number of conflicts between political entities that embrace globalization and those that push against it, with Hong Kong and China being the prime example.
