Media

Hong Kong Adolescents' Social Identification Undergoing Important Changes in the Last Decade

12 Jun 2007

(Hong Kong - June 12, 2007) This year marks the 10th anniversary of the return of Hong Kong's sovereignty to China. The social identification of Hong Kong adolescents before and after 1997 has undergone important changes. The changes do not only affect their perceptions of and interactions with Mainlanders but also their sense of national responsibility towards China. It leads us to think about our civic education, possible meanings of our Chinese identity and issues concerning patriotism.

Dr. Lam Shui-fong, Associate Professor, Department of Psychology at The University of Hong Kong (HKU) and her research team members today (12 June 2007) announced the findings of a large scale study that tracks the changes in adolescents' social identification. It is the first study of its kind in Hong Kong that spans over 10 years from 1996 to 2006 and conducted among over 13,000 Hong Kong secondary school students who are aged 15 on average. The research is supported by a generous donation from Ms. Serena Yang and two research grants from The University of Hong Kong.

For the full report entitled "A study of Hong Kong Adolescents' Social Identification", please download at http://www.cpao.hku.hk/media/EnglishReport.doc The major findings are:

• Ten years after the return of Hong Kong's sovereignty to China, there are now more Hong Kong adolescents claiming dual identities as "Chinese, secondarily Hongkonger") and fewer claiming sole identity as "Hongkonger" or "Chinese".

• The more respondents identify themselves as Chinese, the more positive their attitudes are towards China and Mainlanders. This relationship has remained stable over the 10-year-period.

• In these 10 years, Hong Kong adolescents' evaluation of the political and economic condition of China has become more positive, and their confidence in themselves and the future of Hong Kong has also improved. However, their views of Mainlanders remain quite negative.

• Although Hong Kong adolescents' views of the nation have not changed much 10 years after the return of sovereignty, they have begun to associate responsibilities for the nation with the support for the state's policies.

For photos of the press conference please click in http://www.hku.hk/hkumedia/ and check icon "Events" under "Photo Gallery".