Communications in Humanities Research ISSN: 2753-7072
Home> Volumes> Volume CHR Vol.11> Article
Research Article

An Analysis of Hong Kong’s National Identity Struggle Through Secondary School History Education Perspective

Huiyu ChenUniversity of Birmingham*

* Corresponding author: [email protected]

Abstract

Hong Kong's July 1st Conflict took place on the anniversary of the founding of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, when protesters clashed with the police and caused chaos resulting in huge losses in terms of public transport safety, finance and trade. The protesters stated that they only recognised Hong Kong citizenship and refused to be recognised as Chinese, and read out the Hong Kong People's Declaration of Resistance. In recent years, more and more studies have shown that Hong Kong's young generation identifies more with their Hong Kong citizenship and has a declining sense of belonging to the mainland China. This paper is dedicated to examining how Hong Kong and the Mainland differ in shaping the national identity of their citizens from the perspective of history education textbooks.

Keywords: national identity; Hong Kong; mainland China; secondary school history textbooks; Opium War
Published: October 31, 2023
DOI: 10.54254/2753-7064/11/20231456
Volume: CHR Vol.11
pp. 249-254
Download PDF

References

  1. HKUPOP. (2019). https://www.hkupop.hku.hk/chinese/popexpress/ethnic/eidentity/poll/datatables.html
  2. World Bank, 2005. Reshaping the Future: Education and Post-conflict Reconstruction. World Bank, Washington, DC.
  3. The People’s Republic of China. (2020). Statistical bulletin on national economic and social development for 2019. https://www.gov.cn/xinwen/2020-02/29/content_5484770.htm
  4. Wong, T. K. Y. & Wan, P. S. (2004) Re-imagining China: the continuity and change of identity in post-1997 Hong Kong, in: S. K. Lau, T. K. Y. Wong & P. S. Wan (Eds) Society and politics in Hong Kong: continuity and change (Hong Kong, Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies, The Chinese University of Hong Kong), 213–241.
  5. Psaltis, C., Carretero, M., & Čehajić-Clancy, S. (2017) Social Psychological Theories, History Teaching and Reconciliation, History Education and Conflict Transformation. DOI 10.1007/978-3-319- 54681-0.
  6. Lederach, J. P. (1997) Building peace: Sustainable reconciliation in divided societies. washington, D.C: United States Institute of Peace Press.
  7. Tomlinson, K., Benefield, P. (2005) Education and Conflict: Research and Research Possibilities.
  8. Vickers, D. (Ed.). (2006). A companion to colonial america. John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated.
  9. Kitson, A. (2007). History teaching and reconciliation in Northern Ireland. In E. A. Cole (Ed.), Teaching the violent past: History education and reconciliation (pp. 123–155). Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.
  10. McCully, A. (2012). History teaching, conflict and the legacy of the past. Education, Citizenship and Social Justice, 7(2), 145–159.
  11. Lee, K. H. (2018). Korea: Community education and decolonisation. In Community Education in the Third World (pp. 203-211). Routledge.
  12. Kim, H., & Kim, S. K. (2019). Global convergence or national identity making?: The history textbook controversy in South Korea, 2004-2018. Asia Pacific Journal of Education, 39(2), 252-263.
  13. Bloomberg, L. D., & Volpe, M. (2008). Completing your qualitative dissertation: A roadmap from beginning to end. SAGE Publications, Inc., https://doi.org/10.4135/9781452226613
  14. Charmaz, K. (2006). Constructing Grounded Theory: a Practical Guide through Qualitative Analysis / Kathy Charmaz. London, Sage Publications.
  15. Gay, L. R., Mills, G. E., & Airasian, P. W. (2012) Educational research: competencies for analysis and applications. Boston, Pearson.
  16. Corbin, J., & Strauss, A. (2008). Basics of qualitative research (3rd ed.): Techniques and procedures for developing grounded theory. SAGE Publications, Inc., https://doi.org/10.4135/9781452230153
  17. Holton, J., & Walsh, I. (2017). Classic grounded theory: Applications with qualitative and quantitative data. SAGE Publications, Inc., https://doi.org/10.4135/9781071802762
  18. Global Times. (2021). Hong Kong secondary school history textbooks rectify distorted contents and delete past content suspected of ‘bleaching’ Britain’s instigation of the Opium War. https://m.huanqiu.com/article/42bX5IdEi3V
  19. Xiandai Chinese History (2014). Modern Educational Research Society, Ltd.. https://www.modernedu.com.hk/zh-hant/subject/junior-chinese-history/
  20. Shirong, Q. (2017). History. People’s Education Press. https://book.pep.com.cn/1337001201171/mobile/index.html
  21. Vickers, E., & Jones, A. (Eds.). (2005). History education and national identity in east asia. Taylor & Francis Group.