Understanding the Hong Kong Umbrella Movement: A critical discourse historiographical approach

Abstract

Within the context of a critical discourse historiographical (CDH) approach to critical discourse studies (CDS), this article applies a range of theories to the Hong Kong Umbrella Movement, or Hong Kong Occupy Movement, to understand it as a discursive event. The CDH approach argues that a diachronic, historiographical approach can contribute to historiography, the writing of history, in that it can create first readings and interpretations of important events. The approach focuses on critical moments in discourse, of which the Hong Kong Umbrella Movement is considered an important one in the context of Hong Kong's ongoing socio-historical development. Four theories are applied, in addition to the historical analysis, to further interpret the Hong Kong Umbrella Movement phenomenon: social movement theory, performance theory, identity theory and social action as text theory. It is concluded that the CDH approach to CDS and findings of the study may be useful in the consideration of other social movements and Occupy movements globally.

Critical Discourse Studies and/in communication: theories, methodologies, and pedagogies at the intersections

“…48 Political discourse, still an important object of study for CDS, is also well represented. 49 This sample also illustrates the geographic variety of the different studies including China, Singapore, Australia, Russia, South Africa, Finland, and Lithuania. 50 Based on this limited survey, the academic and intellectual position of CDS appears secure.…”

Discriminatory discursive strategies in online comments on YouTube videos on the Hong Kong Umbrella Movement by Mainland and Hong Kong Chinese

“…Although the Occupy event took place in 2014, in taking a historiographical perspective (Flowerdew, 2012, 2017), in addition to its theoretical contribution with regard to intercultural political discourse and discriminatory discursive strategies, this article offers some insights into current problems and social tensions in Hong Kong society that have subsequently become worse rather than better. Looking at the event retrospectively, the end of the Occupy campaign was in fact the beginning of a bitter process of Hong Kong becoming more divided due to divergent ideologies triggered by the event.…”

“…In this article, following Wodak’s (2015) discourse historical approach and Flowerdew’s (2012, 2017) critical discourse analysis in historiography (CDH) approach, we first briefly sketch the socio-historical background of the Occupy event. We then provide a review of discursive strategies in prejudiced communication in previous studies, followed by detailed descriptions of the process of data collection, coding and analysis.…”

‘Enough is enough: this cycle of violence has to come to an end’: Practical reasoning in the editorials during the extradition bill crisis of Hong Kong

“…Unsurprisingly perhaps, maintaining this laissez-faire economic approach has become a double-edged sword in the post-handover Hong Kong as free market mechanisms left in place appear to have resulted in an increasingly disparate distribution of wealth and resources (Lim and Ping, 2015). Growing grievances regarding the governance of Hong Kong came to a boil in 2014 when the National People’s Congress Standing Committee (NPCSC) in Beijing decided to place limitations on potential candidates for the Chief Executive position in Hong Kong, leading to 97 days of protests which came to be known as the Umbrella Movement (Flowerdew, 2017).…”