Page 35 - 155 Varsity ebook

/33

concepts at a young age. social problems,” he says. professor of Social Science at the
While some parents do not share “No matter which side my Hong Kong University of Science
their children’s views and oppose to children stand for, I hope that they and Technology (HKUST), shares
political participation of any kind, can distinguish between right Ho’s view. She says that different
some parents show understanding and wrong rather than following generations hold different values
and support peaceful protests. the social trend blindly... They due to different experiences. This
A 40-year-old father of two (children) do not have to accept my explains why parents argue with
children, who names himself David, views. I only want them to figure their children over the social
says he supports the use of peaceful out the truth and to understand movement.
means to express political views and the complexity of a society,” he Ku explains that baby boomers
his children have been taking part continues. who have enjoyed the post-war fruits
in human chain activities, but he of prosperity and stability are likely
finds behaviours like vandalism and Intergenerational Differences to uphold a conservative outlook in
desecration of the Chinese national and Social Division favour of stability above all, while
flag unacceptable. According to the same survey youngsters born in a more affluent
David, working in the logistics conducted by HKFYG, while society tend to embrace their
sector, has frequent contact with youngsters ranked freedom as the individuality and post-materialist
colleagues who are from mainland most important core values, their values.
China. He thinks most Hong Kong parents considered social stability She says that most parents
people misunderstand China as an as the top priority. Among all embrace stability and the idea
respondents from two age groups, of “openness”. “Most of them
“ 70 per cent believed that difference experienced economic hardship in

Over the past in values was the main reason for the 1950s and 1960s. They believe
that society has a relatively open
intergenerational conflicts.
Explaining the result, Beji Ho structure that allows social mobility,
decades, China has Son-moon, researcher of the Youth and everyone can climb up the social
been developing I.D.E.A.S. and Youth Research ladder through hard work.”
at a fast pace, but Centre of the HKFYG, Unlike the older
generation, Ku thinks
says, “Every generation
Hong Kong has has its own values, young people do not
made no progress opportunities and believe in upward
standard of life.
social
mobility
These shape paths today.
to
“They
” that individuals collective turn action
take and their
attitudes towards and increasingly
uncivilised country. society.” adopt radical means,
He adds that the young generation Apart from as seen in the recent
hopes to restore the British colonial personal beliefs, Ho also anti-ELAB movement.”
rule because they hate the Chinese attributes intergenerational She adds that the former
identity. conflicts to difference Beji Ho San-moon
David thinks that his children in the sense of (Photo courtesy of Beji Ho San-
have wrongly interpreted the identity. He says moon)
concept of democracy. While he while the older
thinks fighting for democracy generation generally recognises
triggered social instability, his themselves as Chinese, the younger
children think it is good for the generation tends to be more diverse
whole society. “The younger and they label themselves as “Global
generation overestimates the power Citizen”; “Hongkonger in China” or
of democracy and freedom, but in a “Hongkonger”.
fact both are not the panacea for all Agnes Ku Shuk-mei, associate