2019 was an important year in Hong Kong's history, especially in terms of its protest history. The protests were triggered by the amendment to the Extradition Bill prompted by the murder of a Hong Kong woman in Republic of China. This thesis discusses the developments of Hong Kong's protests and society from 2014 to 2020, from the Umbrella Movement to the protest against the Extradition Act. To better understand the protests, this thesis focuses on the emotions - the melancholy, powerlessness, guilt, sadness, and anger among the protesters. The placement takes place in the historical and cultural background of Hong Kong. Studies on (post)colonialism and Judith Butler's theories on body politics are used as the supporting material. In this research, the phenomenological method is applied and this functions as an empirical investigation, using interviews conducted from 2014 to 2019; newspaper articles from Hong Kong and other countries; videos, as well as a documentary film as research materials. The thesis tries to find out the role of emotions in Hong Kong's society and protests, or how different emotions influenced the demonstrators' reactions and the effect of the protests. The transformations and dynamics of the protests between 2014 and 2019 will be compared and analyzed.

Authors:
Ka Wan Cheung, Humboldt Univsersität zu Berlin, Germany

About the Presenter(s)
Born and raised in Hong Kong. In 2017, she moved to Berlin for her MA in Cultural Studies at the Humboldt Universität zu Berlin with a focus on political philosophy and Hong Kong's colonial history.

Connect on Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-cheung-2a6983a3/

Connect on ResearchGate
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ka-Wan-Cheung

See this presentation on the full schedule – Schedule

Bookmark