scholarly journals Solidarity in diversity: online petitions and collective identity in Hong Kong's Anti-Extradition Bill Movement

Author(s):  
Samson Yuen ◽  
Kin-long Tong

Abstract Collective identity is a key catalyst of protest mobilization. How does collective identity come into existence among strangers with diverse backgrounds, especially in movements without a centralized leadership? Although collective identity is often seen as something constructed by movement organizations or out of established networks, we describe a more bottom-up and decentralized process in which movement collective identity is created through the horizontal mobilization of intermediate identities, which leverage pre-existing social identifications to induce commitment among individuals. Focusing on Hong Kong's Anti-Extradition Bill Movement of 2019, we argue that online petitions against the controversial bill created intermediate group identities among myriad social groups, such as alumni, professions, hobby groups, and residential communities. These intermediate identities provided rich discursive resources for previously disconnected individuals to collectively perceive the threat of the bill and see the obligation to act, which, in turn, shaped a strong collective identity early on in the protests. Our findings may help contribute to a more nuanced understanding of collective identity formation in contemporary leaderless movements.

2007 ◽  
Vol 52 (S15) ◽  
pp. 243-258 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristina Flesher Fominaya

This article draws on ethnographic research to analyse the role of humour in the process of collective identity formation within autonomous anti-capitalist groups in Madrid. Autonomous groups embrace the principles of horizontality, openness, diversity, participatory democracy, self-organization, and direct action, so defining themselves in contradistinction to more “vertical” movement organizations of the institutional left. The process of collective-identity formation involves both generating a sense of internal cohesion, and projecting an alternative identity. Autonomous groups in Madrid face a double challenge, for they must integrate ideologically heterogeneous activists, and they must define themselves as being alternatives to the much more consolidated groups of the institutional left. I shall analyse the different ways in which humour is used to address both those challenges: to sustain groups over time, to defuse tensions and try to resolve conflict, for myth-making, and to integrate marginal group members. I will also discuss the role humour plays in charismatic leadership and its use in the projection of an alternative political identity in direct actions. Finally, I will discuss the contested nature of humour as a political tool in the context of the Madrid network.


Author(s):  
Larysa Kovryk-Tokar

Every nation is quite diverse in terms of his historical destiny, spiritual priorities, and cultural heritage. However, voluntary European integration, which is the final aim of political integration that began in the second half of the twentieth century from Western Europe, provided for an availability of large number of characteristics in common in political cultures of their societies. Therefore, Ukraine needs to find some common determinants that can create inextricable relationship between the European Community and Ukraine. Although Ukrainian culture is an intercultural weave of two East macrocivilizations, according to the author, Ukraine tends to Western-style society with its openness, democracy, tolerance, which constitute the basic values of Europeans. Keywords: Identity, collective identity, European values, European integration


2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmad Rezvan ◽  
H. M. Ramakrishne Gowda ◽  
Lancy D’Souza

Paternal attitudes, beliefs and behaviors that appear as family pattern or parenting styles play a key role in personality development and stabilizing the identity of adolescents. The present study assesses parenting styles and identity formation status of adolescents studying in and around Mysore city. A total of 400 adolescents (200 early and 200 late adolescents) were randomly selected covering Mysore city and nearby rural areas, of which equal number among were male and female adolescents and also equal number of them were from urban and rural areas. They were provided with Parental authority questionnaire (PAQ) developed by Buri (1991) and Aspects of Identity Questionnaire – IV (AIQ – IV) developed by Sampson (1978). PAQ measured perceived parenting styles. The AIQ scale measured personal, Relational Social and Collective areas of identity formation. The collected data were, coded and analyzed using SPSS software. The data was analyzed by Two-way ANOVA to find significant difference if any, in the developmental stages, area of living as well as gender of the participants. Results revealed that, adolescents with authoritarian Parenting styles had higher personal identity formation than adolescents with permissive and authoritarian parenting styles. Developmental stage showed significant influence on all components of identity-Personal, Relational, Social and Collective, where in early stage adolescents had higher identity than adolescents at later stage. In general, this study showed that the developmental stages had considerable effect on the collective identity formation in both early and late adolescents.


2019 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 31-36
Author(s):  
Mykola Karpik

The article presents the application of sociolinguistic methods of language study. The proposed research aimed at analyzing the functions of the Austrian variant of the German language in public contexts and disclosing some peculiarities of its use. The issue was addressed by analyzing sociolinguistic and statistic data that we had acquired in 2009–2019. A work with informants was one of the stages of our research. Within the framework of the study of Austrian German we surveyed 102 Austrian respondents, native speakers of the language variant, who represent various social groups and reside in different regions of Austria. The analysis of the received responses showed that the majority of respondents comprehend the concept Austriacism not only in theory, but in practice as well for the bulk of Austriacisms, given as examples in the questionnaire, were known for the informants. The respondents gave predominantly affirmative answers to the question “Do you consider Austriacisms to be the recognized word stock of the standard language?” The use of Austriacisms is also majorly not considered obsolete, hens we can conclude, that Austrian German is a modern colloquial language. These results demonstrate the positive attitude to Austriacisms. Approximately half of the surveyed (49%) showed no awareness of Record 10 on the use of the specific Austrian terms in the German language and this result is seen quite expected. Only 7 % of the surveyed were able to name the number of expressions in this Record. Other responses allow us to address Austriacims as an intrinsic part of Austrian culture and history. A surprising response we received to the question “Would you like Austriacisms to be used by the residents of other German speaking countries?” given by 40 % of the respondents answering Yes. However, the following responses show that the Austrians consider Austriacisms a factor of identity formation, so they would object to the usage by the non-Austrians. Therefore, the hypothesis, formed at the beginning of our research, has found some evidence to support it. The results of experimental use of Austriacisms make it possible to draw the following conclusions: Austrian German is an essential however secondary means of communication in Austria; its use reflects Austrian social reality and national culture. Austrian German acts as an element of Austrian national identity, thus, a further research on its communicative role is an essential task for modern German Studies.


2020 ◽  
pp. 102-138
Author(s):  
Jon Elster

This chapter refers to the beliefs of individuals that occupied various positions in the structures of the old regime. For histoire des mentalités, the chapter tries to determine popular beliefs, elite beliefs, and beliefs about beliefs in accordance with reasons given in the Madisonian caveats. It also analyzes the behavior of the main agents in the economic and political system, which includes the peasantry, local authorities, several urban groupings, the parlements, provincial estates, the royal administration, the royal court, and the king himself. It includes the top-down beliefs of the authorities about their subjects and the bottom-up beliefs of the subjects about the authorities. This chapter also describes beliefs of the members of any group in the social hierarchy about other members of the same group.


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