Discursive Change in Hong Kong

Abstract

Discursive Change in Hong Kong: Sociopolitical Dynamics, Metaphor, and One Country, Two Systems is an interdisciplinary study of sociopolitical and discursive change in Hong Kong—a westernized Chinese society once under British rule, now decolonized but without independence, and with a constitution promising universal suffrage sometime in the future. Starting off with interesting and frequently contradictory debates surrounding the discussions on the Handover of Hong Kong to mainland China, Jennifer Eagleton provides a stimulating, politically well-informed, and comprehensive “insider” account of many aspects of the press media and official discourse on democracy and political change in Hong Kong as part of “One Country, Two Systems.” The book shows how historical, cultural, and identity issues have shaped and molded post-1997 political discourse and how the seemingly dramatic changes in the city since 2020 may not have been that surprising for long-term observers of Hong Kong. By going beyond consideration of the purely linguistic dimension of the selected texts to encompass the larger historical and socio-political context, and incorporating textual, discursive, and metaphoric analysis over time, this book provides a detailed examination of Hong Kong political discourse and its constituent themes.