The politicization of everyday life: understanding the impact of the 2019 Anti-Extradition Law Amendment Bill Protests on pro-democracy protesters’ political participation in Hong Kong

Tang, Thomas Yun-tong; Cheng, Michelle

doi:10.1080/14672715.2022.2027257

Cited by 9 publications

(15 citation statements)

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“…The results show that online discussion centers on socio-cultural identity as a Hong Konger vis-à-vis a Chinese (Chan, 2022; Wong et al, 2021). They also raise concerns about whether using products made in China, considering price affordability, would hinder the foundation of the yellow economic circle and Hong Kong nationalism (Ho, 2022; Tang and Cheng, 2022).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The perceived purposes of the yellow economic circle can be broadly divided into four categories: protest, a resource base, punishment, and economic independence. For example, 14% of the total posts perceived participation in the yellow economic circle as a means to send a signal to the state and demonstrate that there is a form of everyday resistance, pushing for regime change and the democratization of the political system (Tang and Cheng, 2022). Example posts include “Let the government know the people’s voice!” and “When the government uses guns, we the people use money to resist!” 12% of posts framed participation in the yellow economic circle also aimed to build up a political resource base for sustaining the movement dynamic—transforming economic power to political resources and expand political opportunities (Chan, 2022; Chan and Pun, 2020).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Turning to the construction of a collective identity in Hong Kong, in recent years, fears of China’s political and cultural assimilation of Hong Kong have fostered the emergence of “anti-China” sentiment. Political consumer nationalism in Hong Kong can be seen as a form of identity politics that mobilizes a Hong Kong local identity to push back against Beijing’s promotion of cultural and national pride in being Chinese (Tang and Cheng, 2022; Wong et al, 2021). This has been conceptualized as a form of “peripheral nationalism” whereby the periphery counter-mobilizes against the assimilation of the center (Fong, 2017).…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Social Media Postsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The relationship between class, socio-economic background, education, and partisanship of consumers and engagement in political consumerism has also been explored (Endres and Panagopoulos, 2017; Ferrer-Fons and Fraile, 2013; Stolle et al, 2005). Studies on yellow economic circle have implied that it could transcend class disparity (Chan and Pun, 2020; Tang and Cheng, 2022). However, fewer studies have explored how to theorize political consumerism that is built on an inherent contradiction because it occurs at the intersection between identity politics and the forces of the global market economy.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Redefining consumer nationalism: The ambiguities of shopping yellow during the 2019 Hong Kong Anti-ELAB movement

Whitworth

2022

Journal of Consumer Culture

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An iconic characteristic of Hong Kong’s social unrest in 2019 was the establishment of the so-called “yellow economic circle”—a networked system of retailers and consumers linked by shared political values. Movement sympathizers chose to consume products from retailers perceived as supporting movement aims and boycotted retailers thought to be in favor of closer ties with China. This research focuses on the challenges of the yellow economic circle through the lenses of class and consumer nationalism. Drawing on social media posts and interviews with pro-democracy individuals from different socio-economic backgrounds, we highlight challenges to the sustainability of the “yellow economic circle.” Class-based purchasing power represented an obstacle to the success of the yellow economic circle; however, it was not the biggest challenge. Instead, an inherent incompatibility between the movement’s aims and the means for achieving these aims posed the biggest hurdle. Navigating this incompatibility represented an opportunity for movement participants to develop innovations in thinking about consumer nationalism and the role purchasing power may play in participation. We conclude that the way participants defined consumer nationalism determined whether the yellow economic circle could be understood to engender a shared “Hong Kong identity” and eliminate existing class differences.

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