Universities as an Arena of Contentious politics: mobilization and control in Hong Kong’s Anti-Extradition movement of 2019

ABSTRACT

This article examines the role of university students during the anti-extradition movement in Hong Kong, analyzing their strategy to mobilize schools’ physical, symbolic, and interpersonal resources, and how the authorities reacted by restricting and redefining key resources. Universities have served as a safe space since police officers traditionally are not allowed to enter them. Some schools are also strategically located to allow for more disruptive protests. Since Confucianism venerates the moral value of learning, universities are perceived as a hallowed symbol of intellectual conscience, justifying students’ defiance. Universities are commonly seen as warm families whose leaders are obliged to protect students. Finally, universities sustain a rich network of cross-mobilization. The regime restricts access to resources by tightening campus control and reshuffling university leadership, and redefined the symbolic meanings by discrediting higher education. We find interpersonal relationships constitute the most resilient resource because they are embedded in everyday life common identities.

KEYWORDS:

• Hong Kong
• higher education
• student protest
• mobilizational perspective
• resources

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Taiwan University [110L891901].

Notes on contributors

Ming-Sho Ho

Ming-sho Ho is professor in National Taiwan University and the director of Research Institute of the Humanities and Social Sciences, Ministry of Science and Technology (Taiwan). His research interests include social movements, labor and the environmental issues. He published Challenging Beijing’s Mandate of Heaven (2019).

Wai Ki Wan

Wai Ki Wan is a master student at the department of sociology, National Taiwan University. Her research interests include social movements, identity politics, and Chinese society.