When diving deep into the heart of a culture, one must not only observe but also interact and engage. With the aim of better understanding Hong Kong’s unique subcultures and their evolution, I conducted a survey with Hong Kong residents to gather their insights about Hong Kong cultural identity.
Target Audience
Before initiating my survey, I was clear about my target audience: “Hong Kong Residents.” I chose this group because their firsthand experience in the city’s cultural milieu would invaluable insights for my research.
While all respondents could be classified as “Hong Kong Residents”, their backgrounds are diverse. From older generations born in the 1960s to younger folks from the 1990s, native Hongkongers to foreigners who’ve called Hong Kong home for years, this diversity enriched my study, capturing the multifaceted nature of Hong Kong culture.
Initially, I planned face-to-face (or online) interviews to deeply understand their views. However, practical challenges, especially their busy schedules and geographical differences, let me to opt for a more efficient survey method. I incorporated open-ended questions, aiming to capture genuine perspectives on Hong Kong cinema and subcultures.
Initial Dive into Survey Responses
The survey included 14 questions. And I sent out the survey to 15 Hong Kong residents whom I personally know. As of today, I’ve received responses from 12 of them.
The survey began with the question ” What is your cultural background”, and most answers were “Cantonese” or “Hong Kong Culture”，while one figured out himself as “Art school graduate in moving image” which strayed from its intended focus. As I did not offer better guidance like “Hong Kong Culture” or “British Culture” or even “What is your native/original culture” in the question to suggest respondents.
And for the second question about familiarity with the concept of “Hong Kong subcultures”, I used a quantitative approach. However, 2 respondents suggested me figure out a 1-5 or 1-7 scoring standard with clear label, such as 1-not familiar at all, 5- extremely familiar.
I have gained some useful knowledges from the 3rd question is “Can you provide examples of subcultures that you believe are present in Hong Kong”. Based on the answers gathered from them, I did more research esp. in HK style restaurent, HK style stand-up comedy, Fujianese community (could related to Hong Kong diverse culture and gangster culture) as well as the cantonpop. ( Pls refer to the previous 2 blogs about HK subcultures in HK films)
And the question “how do you think the younger generation (Gen Z) perceives and engages with Hong Kong’s subcultures and creative industry” is a tad confusing and abroad. I will consider to seperate it into 2 questions, one will focus on the perceives of Gen Z while another will focus on how “Gen Z” involving in Hong Kong creative industry.
For the last question I put, to be honest, I thought it was an intervention. I invited the interviewees to propose Cantonese slangs, cantonpop, or taking photos, drawing graffitis etc. to describe their thoughts on the past and present of Hong Kong after they finishing the above survey and reflecting their personal touch to the evolution of Hong Kong subculures. But I think the question I raised was not explained clearly what I really want to know and collected from them. And for the people who are not deeply immersed in the Hong Kong culture (their original cultures are mainland China or European, it might be difficult for them to answer (From the responses, it could be found that they didnt provide the answers in this question). But I still got some good feedback from interviewees. Some meaningful Cantonese slangs, a pic, as well as a representative band in HK (大懒堂).
Cantonese slangs: past: 半斤八兩 present: (when being asked why one would do a hard work/difficult job) 係因爲窮呀
The pic provided by one of the interviewees, and he asked me if I know it’s sunrise or sunset.
Cantonpop: LMF also known as Lazy Mutha Fucka or Lazy Muthafucka, is a Cantonese hip-hop group in Hong Kong. The group, signed by Warner Music, was founded in 1993, disbanded in 2003 and regrouped in 2009.(wikipedia)
What is the next?
Followed by the survey, I have re-considered my “how can” research question. At the same time, I’m gearing up to connect with influential voices on platforms like Instagram, Red book and Tik tok, hoping to gather deeper insights into the heartbeats of Hong Kong’s cultural identity.
Second Intervention
What:
For the second intervention, I decided to post videos of myself singing Cantonese songs on my personal Instagram account. The songs were duets performed with an Instagram influencer who specializes in Cantonese culture.
Why:
- To explore another dimension of cultural identity through the medium of music, given that the first intervention was mostly focused on visual elements and language.
- To gauge how digital spaces like social media can serve as platforms for cultural identity and belonging, particularly among a specific community—in this case, Hongkongers.
How:
I collaborated with an Instagram influencer who specializes in Cantonese culture. We chose a couple of songs that are popular and resonate well with Hong Kong’s cultural backdrop. The videos were posted on my personal Instagram account to see the kind of engagement and feedback they would attract, especially from people who identify as Hongkongers.
Reflection:
- Digital Resonance: The majority of the likes and engagement came from Hong Kong-based followers, affirming that digital platforms can indeed serve as a space for cultural expression and recognition.
- Language and Music: The songs’ lyrics and melodies seemed to touch a chord, reinforcing the idea that language and music are potent cultural identifiers.
- Contrast with Physical Space: This online intervention provided a contrasting perspective to the first physical event. It showcased that cultural identification can happen both in physical and digital landscapes.