[In the Press] Humanity and Nature

Prof. Bosco shared his insights on consumer culture, moral economy, and environmentally sustainable development in the latest issue of Chinese University Bulletin (No.1, 2016).

Those who are interested can now read the article online: Chinese version / English version

Chinese University Bulletin No.1, 2016, p.20-21

Multiculturalism in Action Project in Chinese University Bulletin

With support from the Knowledge Transfer Project Fund (KPF), Prof. Maria Tam has organized the Multiculturalism in Action Project since 2013 to enhance awareness of the ethnic and cultural diversity in Hong Kong.

The project has been highlighted in Chinese University Bulletin (No.2 2015). The article can be viewed here.

Multiculturalism in Action Project in Chinese University Bulletin

[In the Press] Enriching our Education with Anthropology

Prof. Gordon Mathews together with two students and an alumna of our department have been featured in the article "Enriching our Education with Anthropology" on the website of The Chinese University of Hong Kong. They talk about how anthropology shows the complexity of culture, and how it provides them a holistic perspective in viewing things and the surrounding environment.

Screenshot of the article

Extract of the article

'The role of anthropology is to show the complexity of culture; culture interweaves with biology, environment, economics, religion, political structures and so on.’ Commenting on the characteristics of anthropology, Professor Mathews stressed the pivotal role played by ethnography and participant observation, a research method commonly employed by anthropologists and ethnographers.'

'Anthropology provides a vehicle for examining the many facets of life, which range from gender, religion, language, politics, economics, food, medicine, and material culture to rituals and symbols. For that reason, anthropology has much to offer to a broad education.'

Click here to read the full article:  English version / Chinese version

[In the press] 垃圾圍城——中國高速城市化背景下的垃圾治理困境

本系哲學博士生張劼穎的文章「垃圾圍城——中國高速城市化背景下的垃圾治理困境」被刊載於《澎湃新聞》的思想市場(2015年6月17日)，文章的節錄如下：

「過去三十年，中國創造了驚人的經濟奇跡，隨著工業化和城市化的迅速發展，民眾的消費生活也發生了史無前例的革命：消費品種類繁多，不斷推陳出新。一次性用品、智慧電子產品在帶給人們便利生活的同時，他們短暫的使用週期也製造了大量的垃圾；繁多的商品還帶來多種包裝物，它們則在以更快的速度完成從商品到垃圾的轉變；而在“刺激內需”、“電器下鄉”，“結婚要有房和車”等夢想口號的感召下，更多的商品被生產出來，而刺激消費也意味著刺激“丟棄”。消費有快感，丟棄似乎也是一種樂趣，在時尚和潮流面前，“丟棄”不一定是因為商品不再具有使用價值，人們更多的是通過“丟棄”和消費的行為在塑造著消費者的新身份，但與此同時，大量的城市“固體廢棄物”（municipal solid waste）也被製造出來。

根據世界銀行的報告，2004年中國固體廢棄物年產1.9億噸，已經取代美國，成為了全世界第一的垃圾生產大國。到2012年，據《中國城市建設統計年鑒》的統計，全國的生活垃圾總量已經增加到了2.39億噸。儘管垃圾生產量如此巨大，卻並未引起太多人的注意——或許更多的時候，人們甚至將此當作一個發展的指標。但不可輕視的是，垃圾已經構成了中國環境治理和城市管理的一個嚴峻挑戰，國外學者更是將生活垃圾帶來的問題稱為城市化過程中的“廢棄物危機”。從08年至今，筆者持續關注和研究與垃圾相關的問題，並在北京和廣州兩座城市做田野調查，對象包括普通市民、環保人士、城市管理工作人員、相關科研人員、相關企業家、清潔工人、拾荒者、廢品收購站經營者等，本文將基於此檢視中國當下的垃圾問題以及與之相關的社會和文化現象。」

《澎湃新聞》網頁截圖

於《澎湃新聞》閱讀全篇文章 。

(首發表於《文化縱橫》2015年6月號，題目為“中國高速城市化背景下的垃圾治理困境”。)

[轉載]“鬼故事”裡的“鬼”是什麼？ —— 文化相對主義視角的理解

踏入農曆七月，總讓人想起鬼神之說。在香港，甚至在中大校園，也流傳了不少鬼故事。你又可有想過如何用文化的角度去理解「超自然」的故事？復旦-人類學之友的博客最近發表了一篇文章，引用了本系副教授林舟的研究，探究對神秘現象的眾說紛談背後的社會及文化成因。

節錄內容（轉載自復旦-人類學之友的博客）

（作者：向昕、嚴詩菱、杜世超）

「很多人也許都曾被問到過：“你相不相信世界上有鬼？”的問題，但鬼神、巫術、魔法等其實常常被我們看作是生活中被“懸置”的神秘事物，“敬而遠之”。信或不信，似乎都不太會去探究其背後的文化背景。在林舟（Joseph Bosco）的《The supernatural in Hong Kong young people’s ghost stories》一文中，他也從超自然和自然兩者視角來討論了這個問題。文章給予我們的啟發之一就是，對於超越自然法則和人們常識的現象，或許根本上來說就是文化的產物。那麼，我們也可以通過背後的文化去理解“超自然”的故事，去嘗試理解人們看待世界的視角和方式, 而非簡單地扣上“迷信”的“污名”。本文並非要給“是否有超自然現象存在”的問題一個確切答案，而是通過特定角度對一些神秘的現象背後的社會、文化因素進行探索。文章首先將對於林舟的文章內容進行簡單的翻譯和介紹。接著將從宗教儀式與祖先崇拜，對鬼故事和超自然現象背後的文化進行分析。最後結合借鑒林舟的視角，對於具體地域學生間傳播的一些巫蠱故事的現象進行探討。」

按此查看全文。

復旦-人類學之友博客截圖

林舟教授的相關論文

Bosco, Joseph. 2007. “Young People's Ghost Stories in Hong Kong.”  The Journal of Popular Culture 40(5):785-807.

Bosco, Joseph. 2003. “The Supernatural in Hong Kong Young People's Ghost Stories.” Anthropological Forum 13(2):141-149.

[In the press] 專訪陳如珍講師：香港的菲傭群體

本系講師陳如珍早前接受成報港澳新聞的訪問，分享她對菲傭的研究。在許多香港故事中，菲傭總被塑造成搞怪的陪襯角色；在現實中，她們亦被物化，簡單標籤為廉價和實惠的臨時勞動力。菲傭的獨立意識常常被抹殺。在生活中，她們又是如何面對自我、實現自我？

（撰文：李青）

節錄內容

「每到星期天，平日裏的沈默，忙碌的菲傭便成為香港的街頭一景。她們總是在大街小巷閒坐說笑，把普遍的假日過成狂歡節。身為全球化勞動力市場中的一員，菲傭的身份，為她們製造了不少家鄉親友眼中的光鮮泡沫，背後的故事卻又是冷暖自知。

有意無意的，社會主流常常會忽視『菲傭』的存在，把他們看作勞動的機械，殊不知，他們也有喜怒哀樂的故事，有對於香港的複雜情感，也有必須面對的慾望與訴求。

這裏的『自我』與『非我』，並非哲學定義上的區別，而是最簡單的『做自己』與『不做自己』之間的辯證與拉扯，作為鮮活的生命個體，菲傭群體如何面對自我、實現自我的過程，其實並不是一條平坦的路。」

按此閱讀報導。

[In the press] 專訪王芊霓－－研究廣場舞的歷程與心得

本系哲學碩士生王芊霓最近接受了四個媒體訪問，分享她研究中國廣場舞的歷程與心得。王芊霓自8歲就學習中國舞蹈，2013年開始研究廣場舞。在研究期間，她在河南進行了半年的田野考察，先後接觸了6支廣場舞隊，並與20多位舞者進行深入採訪。對於被污名化成“廣場舞大媽”的舞者，王芊霓以深入的剖析帶出另一番見解。

環球人物網截圖

詳情：

南都週刊。2015。廣場舞是大媽的“心靈按摩”。載《南都周刊》，5月16日。

（相關連結：http://www.nbweekly.com/news/china/201505/38886.aspx）

羅昕。2015。廣場舞大媽不應成為笑料，她們是“第一代孤獨母親”。載《澎湃新聞》，4月10日。

（相關連結：http://m.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_1319318）

黄茜。2015。跳跳廣場舞怎麼就丟人了? 載《南方都市報》，4月17日，版RB12。

（相關連結：http://epaper.oeeee.com/epaper/C/html/2015-04/17/content_3408865.htm?div=2）

余馳疆。2015。為廣場舞大媽正名：她們是第一代孤獨母親。載《環球人物》，5月15日 。
（相關連結： http://www.hqrw.com.cn/2015/0515/25851_4.shtml）

[In the press] 污名與衝突：時代夾縫中的廣場舞

本系哲學碩士生王芊霓根據她的廣場舞研究而寫成的文章「污名與衝突：時代夾縫中的廣場舞」，最近於《文化縱橫》(2015年4月號)刊載，文章內容摘要如下：

「對廣場舞者來說，跳舞是一種重要的生活情趣，大大小小的舞隊已然成為現代中國中老年女性排遣孤獨、溝通情感的團體。但對大多數人來說，廣場舞大媽的形象卻是一種約定俗成的笑料，而污名（stigma）背後，正折射出現代中國女性身份認同的危機與焦慮，公共空間中的矛盾和碰撞，暗含著變革時代的隱喻與諷刺。當我們回顧歷史變遷，可能會把這一切衝突歸於它的戲劇性，但在當下，審慎辨析的思考視角將決定未來的發展道路。」

北京修遠經濟與社會研究基金會網頁截圖

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文章內容選段：

「我的研究發現，參與廣場舞的許多女性都可以被稱作是中國歷史上“第一代孤獨母親”。因為計劃生育政策，她們可能剛剛步入中年，就要開始面臨獨自一人在家的境況，她們的丈夫許多都去了收入更高的外地工作，孩子也從高中甚至初中起就到“教育更發達”的地區就讀，更不用提年長的已經上大學和遷居外地成家立業的情況。現有家庭關係中這些變化造成的孤獨，都促成了她們對一種替代性的社會關係的訴求。女人們因為被廣場舞這樣新的團體接納而獲得情感支援，她們也可以更積極的面對家人孩子的遷居、老齡化、還有問題婚姻等造成的種種挑戰。促使女性去參加廣場舞的具體原因總是五花八門的，但總體而言，孤獨是非常重要的因素。廣場舞正是一種療愈孤獨的方式，滿足了這些女人對人際溝通和情感共鳴的強烈願望，正如一種 “心靈按摩”。
‧‧‧‧‧‧
與廣場舞對於其參與者的正能量相對比的，則是這一群體所蒙受的社會污名。人們把參加“廣場舞”的這些並不年輕的女性稱為“大媽”，這個詞在北方方言中帶有貶義，而現如今它儼然成為了大嗓門兒、有些發福、不再性感的中老年女性形象的代名詞。不僅如此，“廣場舞”和“廣場舞大媽”已經成為不少脫口秀和笑話節目的固定“包袱”和笑料，日常中人們談論大媽和引用廣場舞的方式，也都說明了廣場舞大媽蒙受污名之實。除了被污名，被忽視也是司空見慣。筆者在田野調查時遇到一個以廣場舞為名的比賽，冠名單位因為擔心單獨的廣場舞表演吸引力不夠，同時聘請了一些年輕舞者，其中還包括幾個孕婦進行肚皮舞表演。而隨後的媒體報導和人們談論中，年輕女性的表演成為了焦點，大媽們則成了零星點綴。比賽結束後，其中一支廣場舞的領隊不無傷感的說：“最讓我傷心的是，我們以為這次比賽是真正為我們設計的，但是結果，我們卻還是為別人做嫁衣裳。” 這句有些苦澀的話其實正是廣場舞大媽在社會中邊緣地位的真實寫照。」

請按此閱讀全文。

Free Music Guide - Pong Cheung's environmental protection project in Hong Kong Discovery vol.85

Photo Credit: Free Music Guide

Pong Cheung (B.A. '14) and his fellow teammates have formed an instrumental band to join the The Antarctica, Arctic, Mighty Rovers 2014-2015. The "Free Music Guide" project is combining the concept of "environmental protection" and "street performance". To promote and encourage recycling, the band expects the audience to show appreciation by giving them trash instead of paying cash.

Photo Credit: Free Music Guide

If you would like to know more about the project or how Pong, as an anthropology graduate, thinks about environmental protection, full article is available in the Hong Kong Discovery vol.85 ($28, details).

For Pong's "Free Music Guide" project, please visit their facebook page.

For the details of "The Antarctica, Arctic, Mighty Rovers 2014-2015", please visit the event homepage.

[In the Press] Professor Sidney C. H. Cheung's book in Weekend Weekly

Cover

Professor Sidney C. H. Cheung's new book “Wetland Tourism in Four Seasons: Perspectives from landscape, foodways and community lifestyles” has been mentioned in the latest issue of "Weekend Weekly".

第793期新假期周刊介紹本系張展鴻教授2014年出版著作《香港濕地四季遊》。如有意購買本書，請按此網上訂購。本書相關內容介紹，可參見本博客之前的報導。

In the Press: Professor Gordon Mathews's thoughts on the Umbrella Movement

Professor Gordon Mathews.
Photo Credit: Mingpao Daily

Professor Gordon Mathews was interviewed by Mingpao Daily about his thoughts and observation on the Umbrella Movement. The article is in Chinese only.

「...作為人類學家，他最享受與在場的陌生人交談：『早幾天在旺角，看到不同立場的人正在理性辯論，你來我往，這正是我所嚮往的公民課堂！』他直言，為人師表不能鼓勵學生犯法，但他走入現場，同樣為履行教師職責：『人類學強調對不同觀點的理解，我正在做這件事。老師的責任是促進思考，令人們想得更透徹，所以每遇上持相反立場的人，我很樂意跟他們交談，甚至辯論！』...

...消弭中的香港價值，卻在街頭重現。『我從未見過有示威可以如此文明有禮。這或許誇張，但現場確有如社會主義下的烏托邦，有公眾書架鼓勵閱讀分享、有自修區讓學生溫習；人人都有手尾，自動自覺執拾；越過石壆又有人攙扶……若理想的社會主義者要找個地方借鏡，他們不應去內地，那只是愚蠢的獨裁！他們反而應該來看看現在的香港！』麥高登打趣說道。...」

Mingpao Daily, Sunday (19/10/2014), Full article (Chinese only) 

In the Press: From the dark grey to the pink (从暗灰到粉红)

A 65 years old retired pharmacist dancing on the public square.
Photo Credit: 姜曉明@Southern People Weekly 

Our M.phil. student, Qianni Wang , published an article entitled " From the dark grey to the pink (从暗灰到粉红) at " Southern People Weekly (南方人物周刊)“ on 25th Sep. 

「流行的觀點常常認為，每個廣場舞大媽都帶著抹不去的“紅色基因”。如果廣場舞真能完全代表紅色年代，如何解釋她們穿著的短裙、高跟鞋和扭動的腰肢呢？紅色基因確實存在，卻很難說是主流，本文試圖從女性氣質這一視角解讀廣場舞的流行。在一本經典人類學著作中，學者格爾茨描述了巴厘島上的男人如何通過鬥雞展現陽剛氣質和社會激情，其實，中國的中年女性也在通過廣場舞展演著女性氣質，從而實現認同和愉悅感。

在對這一群體進行深入調研之後，我認為廣場舞的流行有一種必然性，它完美地解決了女性生存的兩個需求：找尋愉悅感和適應社會性別期待....」

Please click here to read the article. (Chinese only)

In the Press: 為什麼要研究廣場舞？ Public Dance Study

Our M.phil. student, Qianni Wang , was interviewed by Modernedge for her public dance study. (Chinese only)

本系哲學碩士生王芊霓的廣場舞研究最近受現代畫報訪問，現節錄如下：

"口述|王芊霓                    採訪|EDGE記者 王冬豔

（王芊霓，香港中文大學人類學碩士。從2013年6月起研究廣場舞，並已在第17屆哈佛大學東亞系研究生會議發表相關論文。） 

廣場舞在臺灣地區也流行過，叫土風舞，除了叫法不同，本質上和大陸的廣場舞沒什麼區別，我覺得跳廣場舞是挺有中國文化特色的事兒，我研究的時候廣場舞也沒有像現在這樣有爭議。 

一些普遍的觀點認為，中國社會越來越“個體化”。我就是好奇既然是“個體化”，那如何解釋像廣場舞這樣的集體活動。而我自己也學過8年的舞蹈，對舞蹈不是完全的門外漢，這大概是我研究廣場舞的最初想法。因為我的舞蹈動作標準，不少阿姨都願意和我跳，也會讓我教她們一些動作，這樣混熟了以後，她們也向我敞開了心扉。 

歡迎被研究的廣場舞大媽 

我學的是人類學，需要以“局外人”的身份觀察事物，對原生文化保持一定的距離，因此在廣場舞上多用田野調查。我的田野調查選擇的是河南省的一個非省會城市，城市中等但變化很快，原住民會為了學習和工作去大城市，同時也會有外來移民來這個城市定居，新區的建設也形成了新的鄰里關係，我覺得這樣的城市在中國很有代表性。我用了大概半年的時間採訪了城市中6個比較活躍的廣場舞舞隊..."

按此閱讀全文。

[Indian Culture Workshop 2013-2014] Press Conference

Prof. Maria Tam (Right) and workshop participant Mr. Ren Qiran sharing at the press conference.

Prof. Siumi Maria Tam introduced her Multiculturalism in Action project findings and, together with Workshop participants, shared aspirations for social harmony, at the press conference last Saturday, September 20, 2014. The hour-long press conference turned out to be a 2-hour long fruitful discussion. 

Prof. Tam discussing the social marginalisation faced by the ethnic minorities in Hong Kong.

As a cultural anthropologist, Prof. Tam has developed research projects focusing on issues of cultural identity as they interface with ethnicity, gender, and transnational mobility. Through her studies on South Asian groups in Hong Kong, namely the Nepali and Indian communities, she found that public misunderstanding and social stereotypes have led to personal and structural discrimination, and cross-cultural ignorance gives rise to social isolation and exclusion, which further reinforce unhealthy ethnic relations and underuse of talents, with a negative impact on Hong Kong’s development as a cosmopolitan society.

 

Mr. Ren Qiran sharing his experience in the Indian Cultural Workshop.

During the press conference, Prof Tam was being asked about her views on the racist attitudes towards the ethnic minorities in Hong Kong. She pointed out the relatively high level of cultural illiteracy in Hong Kong, as well as the superficial events on promoting ethnic minorities cultures held by the Race Relations Unit did very little on inviting the public to really engage with the minorities. In hopes of disarming the racial stereotypes and discrimination in Hong Kong, Prof Tam has produced an 80-page bilingual information booklet together with a DVD highlighted the seminars and field visits. She hoped that the information kit would benefit education institutions to develop culturally sensitive lessons on the one hand, and raise awareness of the role of the Indians in Hong Kong since 19^th century on the other.

Media Coverage:

Lam, Lana. “Academic’s Free Educational Materials to Battle Racism,” South China Morning Post. 21 September, 2014. at  http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1597038/academics-free-educational-materials-battle-racism

<<on.cc東網>>。2014年09月20日。「中大印製文化資料集　助了解少數族裔減歧視」。

http://hk.on.cc/hk/bkn/cnt/news/20140920/bkn-20140920121716424-0920_00822_001.html　

<<東方日報>>。2014年09月21日。「港印度社群貢獻常受忽視」。港聞一A23。

http://orientaldaily.on.cc/cnt/news/20140921/00176_015.html

In the Press: Professor Gordon Mathews's thoughts on Occupy Central

Professor Gordon Mathews

Professor Gordon Mathews shared his thought on the Occupy Central movement on facebook earlier this week.  It not only sparked heated discussion, but also drew the medias' attention.

"I am deeply upset about the Chinese government's decision to deny democracy to Hong Kong, and just wrote this to Benny Tai: "Some of us who are not Chinese are very willing to engage in Occupy Central. However, we are worried that, as foreigners, and particularly as Americans, we will be playing into the Mainland's propaganda. We don't want to be involved if we would hurt the Occupy Central movement. What do you think we should do? Benny, feel free to respond privately if it seems more appropriate, if you can find time to do so-- " I'll see what he says! What do any HK or Chinese readers of this think? Would an American getting arrested help or hurt the Hong Kong democracy cause in the eyes of the Mainland? 

If CUHK classes are shut down at the end of September, I will support the student protesters--I will film all my classes and put them on-line, and make sure that no one who is arrested and jailed will academically suffer for it, although I will also do all I can to offer my class for those who want to attend, and who aren't participating in the boycott: this is strictly a matter of free, individual choice, all the more, of course, for the many students who are not from Hong Kong. But I am still unsure as to what to do myself..."

Professor Mathews (1/9/2014), Original text and corresponding discussion 

The original status and discussion.
Photo Credit: Professor Mathews's facebook

Professor Mathews's view was quoted in 3 local newspaper:

「佔中和罷課浪潮將至，每人在多重身份裏掙扎。中大人類學系系主任麥高登（Gordon Mathews）苦惱得在facebook向佔中發起人之一戴耀廷查詢，外國人可否佔中？會不會被北京抹黑為外國勢力干預？他指不同膚色亦是香港人，對我城匹夫有責。面對有學生表明罷課，他重回教師角色表明會繼續授課，會錄影課堂讓學生網上補課，又呼籲學系寬鬆處理罷課學生...」

Apple Daily, Local News (3/9/2014), Full article (Chinese only) 

 「...中文大學人類學教授Gordon Mathews表明，對人大常委會決議感到極為不滿，支持學生的罷課行動，更希望能參與佔中。不過，作為外籍學者的他憂慮，北京斥外國勢力干預，已去信佔中發起人戴耀廷，徵詢其意見...」 

Sing Tao Daily, Local News (3/9/2014), Full article (Chinese only)  

"...On Tuesday a department head at Chinese University said Occupy Central would be a legitimate reason to miss classes. Professor Gordon Matthews said he will provide filmed lectures to help students who join class boycotts in protest at Beijing's restrictive framework for the city's political reform..."

South China Morning Post, Politics (4/9/2014), Full article (English only) 

 

In the Press: Cross-Border Mothers Lost In Two Social Systems

Dr, Wai-chi Chee, Lecturer in our department, has researched on Cross-Border Mothers, which aims to analyse the conflict between Hong Kong and Mainland China from the Cross-Border Mothers' perspective. The research was recently reported in two articles.

《在兩個社會系統裡迷失的跨境媽媽》 劉潔珊

“…徐渭芝採訪了大概40個阿寶這樣的跨境媽媽。她的報告 說，很多跨境母親都後悔來港生子，甚至還想一死了之。徐渭芝說香港政府當初為了刺激經濟而鼓勵內地孕婦來港生子的時候，並沒有預想到今天的情況，這是行政失當。在報告中還提到一個母親說：“有時候我的兒子很吵，吵到了收留我們的親戚。我當然會跟兒子說，可他只有三歲，什麼都不懂。我打他，他反而哭得更厲害。有一次他哭鬧不斷，我就瘋了…”

按此連結閱讀全文。

有關徐博士的研究，可參閱本博客早前的報導。

“Cross-Border Mothers Lost In Two Social Systems” Shako Liu

“…Chee interviewed about 40 cross-border families in her study. Regret is prominent among them, many even have a death wish. The ambiguity of the One-Child Policy falls into interpretation of local governments. Some women she interviewed said they also paid a fine to the local government for having a second child in Hong Kong. Chee said the Hong Kong government didn’t envision the problems when they opened the door for the women to give birth in Hong Kong as a way to boost the economy after SARS in 2003. 

In Chee’s report, one of the mothers said, “Sometimes my son makes noise. The relatives whom we are staying with are annoyed. I talk to my son but he is too young to understand. He is only three. I hit him and he cries even louder. Once I went totally crazy as he cried and cried. To make him stop crying…”

To read the whole article, please click here.

For details of Dr. Chee’s research, please check the information here. (Chinese only)

[In the Press] Prof. Mathews in BBC news on Chungking Mansions

Professor Gordon Mathews was interviewed and featured in a BBC news on "Chungking Mansions: Inside Hong Kong's favourite 'ghetto' ".

"Gordon Mathews, an anthropology professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong who spent four years researching and staying in Chungking Mansions, describes the complex as "a world hub of low-end globalisation".

Traders from developing countries come to Chungking Mansions to buy goods in demand back home, he says, "carrying their goods in their own luggage, or renting a container or part of a container, and shipping the goods pretty much on their own".

The deals are done "on the basis of trust, and often under the radar of the law," he says.

Many traders try to avoid import taxes by carrying their merchandise themselves or bribing customs officials, while many of the employees in the shops are working illegally.

Prof Mathews estimates that in 2008, about 20% of mobile phones in use in sub-Saharan Africa had been sold in Chungking Mansions, although that number has since decreased.

Many of the phones sold today are 14-day phones: phones which were returned by European customers within 14 days of purchase, which retailers buy at a discount and sell on.

Directly above the phone shops, a very different kind of business is thriving."


To read the full story, please click here.

picture source: www.bbc.com

[In the Press] Professor Joseph Bosco Talks About Ghosts and Fengshui in Chinese Culture

Professor Joseph Bosco was interviewed for a radio documentary about ghosts and fengshui in Chinese culture. RTHK Radio 3 has decided to play this documentary during this time between Chung Yeung and Halloween. 

What are the differences between ghosts in Chinese and other cultures? Should the belief in ghosts be called superstitious? How about fengshui? And what different types of ghosts do anthropologists identify?

Click here to listen on the RTHK Radio 3 Archive programme "Ghostbusting Hong Kong" to what Professor Bosco has to say.

In the Press: Prof. Mathews Criticizes Hong Kong's Policies on Asylum Seekers

Banging African drums and chanting words such as “justice,” hundreds of asylum seekers and torture claimants marched from Central to the Immigration Tower in Wan Chai on 28 April 2013 to protest against what is deemed unjust screening procedures of UNHCR and the government.（To see the full report of the protest, please visit South China Morning Post.）Prof. Gordon Mathews and Prof. Sea-ling Cheng joined and supported the protest. 

Prof. Mathews supported the protest.

"The Hong Kong government, in its treatment of asylum seekers, is apparently trying to be humane. However, the effect of its policy is the exact opposite of what it intends, rewarding those who are most undeserving, and harming those who are most deserving." Prof Mathews diagnoses the problems of the current  system in the article Open and Shut Cases, written for South China Morning Post.

According to him, Hong Kong's policies appear to be reasonable, and they could become a model of effective, humane government, if comprehensive refugee policies were implemented, and the process was speeded up.

Prof. Sea-ling Cheng marched with asylum seekers.

One of the major problems is that the screening procedures of UNHCR and the government are inadequate, sometimes giving the undeserving refugee status, while denying the most deserving. They can also be unbelievably lengthy, taking five or more years to complete

He further points out how the current system serves for Hong Kong economy:

"The current system allows the Hong Kong government to deny permanent settlement to people it deems lack the skills to contribute to society, while providing the means to closely monitor the illegal population needed for the profit of many Hong Kong businesses.

If this is indeed the case, then it may be that the present shortcomings in policy towards asylum seekers in Hong Kong are not only matters of unforeseen consequences, but a matter of entirely foreseen intent. Could it be that the Hong Kong government actively seeks for its policy towards asylum seekers to fail?"

The current system provides the means to closely monitor the illegal population needed for the profit of many Hong Kong businesses.

In the Press: Gordon Mathews Says Biased Ranking Exercise Favours Research in English

Prof. Gordon Mathews wrote an opinion piece (Academics denied their place in debate on Hong Kong) for South China Morning Post, pointing out the significant problems of the Research Assessment Exercise in Hong Kong. The exercise,  imported from Margaret Thatcher's Britain, will rank different academic departments as to their research productivity and distribute funding accordingly.

The seemingly reasonable assessment favours research written in English and for Anglo-American publishers. As a result, although unintended, it renders humanists and social scientists no more than mute technocrats and bureaucrats instead of public intellectuals and makes Hong Kong universities increasingly resemble those of Singapore and mainland China.

Prof. Mathews said: "If I were a Chinese official in Beijing, I would be very happy that the exercise keeps Hong Kong academics publishing books and articles in distant places that few people read, rather than engaging in public debate through their research and publications on Hong Kong."

To read the full article , please click here.