{"id":5382,"date":"2015-06-19T15:32:31","date_gmt":"2015-06-19T22:32:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dminlgp\/?p=5382"},"modified":"2015-06-19T15:52:41","modified_gmt":"2015-06-19T22:52:41","slug":"culture-hong-long-global-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/culture-hong-long-global-world\/","title":{"rendered":"Culture \u2013 Hong Kong \u2013 Global World"},"content":{"rendered":"

The reading Hong Kong Culture: Word and Image[1]<\/strong><\/a><\/em> edited by Kam Louie rounds out a trilogy of readings in preparation for a Hong Kong academic advance. The advance is an element in the DMin course of study with George Fox Evangelical Seminar that provides an encounter with local culture from a global perspective.<\/p>\n

The readings treat various perspectives of cultural impact on social, economic, religious, and geopolitical aspects of life in Hong Kong. Simon Chan in Grassroots Asian Theology<\/em> relates that Asian Christian theology is an expression of Christian life and practice in Asia. As theological beliefs and practices are formed, they are transmitted through \u201cnew cultural expressions \u2026 Local cultures do shape the way faith is received and expressed.\u201d[2]<\/a> The critically acclaimed Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mom[3]<\/strong><\/a><\/em> is a window into the heart of the Chinese family model of parenting. In Battle Hymn<\/em>, Amy Chua has dispelled any question as to how\/why Chinese children excel and the impact of Chinese culture on one family\u2019s life experience of living in American culture. It is easy to disagree with Chua and the Chinese model, however in a global world where we live together in multicultural community, Battle Hymn<\/em> elucidates the significance of culture and how we can learn to understand and to some extent accept the cultural differences in local community.<\/p>\n

Kam Louie brings together a brilliant composite of essays that irradiates the multilayered culture of Hong Kong. The author notes there is \u201cquite simply nowhere else like Hong Kong\u201d in terms of \u201cparticular localities and special contexts \u2026 intellect and emotions \u2026 it is a multifaceted, polyphonic culture that resists easy homogenization.\u201d[4]<\/a> Throughout the essays it is necessary to maintain some understanding of the process of British decolonization and the transition to a Chinese \u201cone country, two system\u201d[5]<\/a> rule. In the book introduction, Kam Louie asks the question, \u201cWhat is Hong Kong culture?\u201d In referring to the years of transition beginning in 1984[6]<\/a> to the present, he notes the impact of Hong Kong existing on a \u201ccultural fault-line\u201d such that \u201cwhen it belonged to Britain, Hong Kong was not really British, and now that the former colony is part of China, its culture is not exactly Chinese either.\u201d[7]<\/a><\/p>\n

There were many factors that impacted change during the transition. In the essay \u201cTen Years Later: 1997 \u2013 2007 as History,\u201d John Carroll spells out the challenges that confronted and continues to confront the Hong Kong people.[8]<\/a> The transition was peaceful, but the long period leading up to the transfer to Chinese rule created uncertainty and anxiety over financial, political, health related issues, and human rights conditions. Many emigrated from Hong Kong during this period. One characterization in evaluating the economic, political, and culture change in Hong Kong is Charles Dickens \u201cThis is the best of times. This is the worst of times.\u201d Chu Yiu-wai refers to the Hong Kong rendition as \u201c\u2026the best has passed the worst will last.\u201d[9]<\/a> Chu\u2019s reference is to changes that came about as a result of economies of Hong Kong doing business with mainline China. The characterization is portrayed in the film performance and production industry as, \u201cI Fell in love with someone I despised.\u201d[10]<\/a><\/p>\n

A favorite essay for me is \u201cChinese English, English Chinese: Biliteracy and Translation\u201d by Elaine Yee Lin Ho-. To some extent, I picked up the significance of translation in literature especially in combining the Chinese and English culture in a way that translation work reflected the cultural meaning (hybridity)[11]<\/a> of both cultures. However, much of this essay is technical and I was \u201cunder-water\u201d for much of it. What I did like and did understand some-what better was Lin Ho\u2019s presentation and discussion of the poetry work of Leung Ping-kwan\u2019s poem, \u201cAn Old Colonial Building\u201d[12]<\/a> and Tammy Ho Lai-ming\u2019s \u201cGoing to My Parents\u2019 Place on a Crowded Bus.\u201d[13]<\/a><\/p>\n

I anticipate visiting the \u201cOld Colonial Building\u201d on the University of Hong Kong\u2019s campus and I would love to take a trip to the country on that bus.<\/p>\n

Resources:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Kam Louie has provided an outstanding list of resources and references that relate to the topics covered in each chapter essay. The resources consist of books, journal articles, news releases, movie reviews, documentaries, web sites and a host of other resources.<\/p>\n

I was particularly interested in resources that relate to Asian culture especially in terms of the local cultural in a global world. One way this is most significant is how Asian society is preparing children and young people to live globally.[14]<\/a> One resource is published by the Asia Society, \u201cExpanding Horizons: Building Global Literacy in Afterschool Programs.\u201d Written for teachers, parents and students, the guide spells out the challenge of living in a global world:<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s young people will be living and working in a world that is vastly different from the one in which their parents and teachers grew up. Rapid economic, technological, and social changes are connecting us across the globe as never before. To be successful in this global era, young people will need a new set of educational experiences that help them expand their horizons from their neighborhood to the world. \u2026 [15]<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The intent purpose of the guide according to Vivien Stewart, Vice President, Education Asis Society, is to \u201cbetter prepare our young people to succeed in this new global environment \u2026 to help our students excel in an interconnected world.\u201d[16]<\/a> In citing global trends and the challenges that face Asian children (by implication, all children of the world) the authors quote Hugh Price of the National Urban League in terms of preparing children to respond to the changing world in a global contest; \u201cAll children now are children of the globe, not just children of the neighborhoods where they live.\u201d[17]<\/a> One is made to consider how significant this material is in the context of our reading Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mom<\/em> by Amy Chua.[18]<\/a> One resource in particular that complements the significance of reading with a global perspective, although not currently being updated, is PaperTiger.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The summer reading has created and added dimension to the Hong Kong Advance \u2026 Here we come! I am glad I have the summer to follow-up on understanding better\/deeper the Hong Kong culture.<\/p>\n

[1]<\/a> Kam Loluie, Hon Kong Culture: Word and Image<\/em> Kindle ed. (Hong Kong: Hong Cong University Press, 2010).<\/p>\n

[2]<\/a> Simon Chan, Grassroots Asian Theology: Thinking the Faith from the Ground Up<\/em> Kindle ed. (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2014), 99-100.<\/p>\n

[3]<\/a> Amy Chua, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother<\/em> Kindle ed. (New York, NY: Penguin Books, 2011).<\/p>\n

[4]<\/a> Ibid., 187.<\/p>\n

[5]<\/a> Ibid., 177, 2765-3086.<\/p>\n

[6]<\/a> The announcement of plans for decolonialization was made thirteen years before the transition to Chinese rule, Kindle 384.<\/p>\n

[7]<\/a> Ibid., 169.<\/p>\n

[8]<\/a> John Carroll, \u201cTen Years Later: 1997 \u2013 2007 as History\u201d in Hong Kong Culture: Word and Image<\/em>, Kindle, 313-605.<\/p>\n

[9]<\/a> Chu Yiu-wai, \u201cOne Country Two Cultures? Post-1997 Hong Kong Cinema and Co-productions\u201d in Hong Kong Culture: Word and Image<\/em>, Kindle, 3046.<\/p>\n

[10]<\/a> Ibid., 2974.<\/p>\n

[11]<\/a> Elaine Yee Lin Ho, \u201cChinese English, English Chinese: Biliteracy and Translation\u201d \u00a0in Hong Kong Culture: Word and Image<\/em>, Kindle, 1161.<\/p>\n

[12]<\/a> Ibid., 1300.<\/p>\n

[13]<\/a> Ibid., 1500.<\/p>\n

[14]<\/a> See for a variety of programs for global teaching and learning, accessed June 15, 2015, http:\/\/asiasociety.org\/global-learning-beyond-school<\/a><\/p>\n

[15]<\/a> Asia Society, \u201cExpanding Horizons: Building Global Literacy in Afterschool Programs\u201d Asia Society Partnership for Global Learning<\/em> PDF, accessed June 15, 2015, http:\/\/asiasociety.org\/files\/Expanding%20Horizons%20guidebook.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n

[16]<\/a> Ibid.<\/p>\n

[17]<\/a> Ibid., 5.<\/p>\n

[18]<\/a> Amy Chua, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mom<\/em> (.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The reading Hong Kong Culture: Word and Image[1] edited by Kam Louie rounds out a trilogy of readings in preparation for a Hong Kong academic advance. The advance is an element in the DMin course of study with George Fox Evangelical Seminar that provides an encounter with local culture from a global perspective. The readings […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[655,656],"class_list":["post-5382","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-kam-louie","tag-louie","cohort-lgp4"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5382","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/20"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5382"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5382\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5385,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5382\/revisions\/5385"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5382"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5382"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5382"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}