[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 2016-17] Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan Culture Workshop

On 23 July 2016, the Multiculturalism in Action (MIA) Project invited Venerable Seegiriye Sumiththa Thero to give a talk on Buddhism and the Sri Lankan Community in Hong Kong.

According to Sumiththa Thero, Buddhism was introduced to Sri Lanka by Mahinda Thero, a prince of the Maurya Dunasy in India, in 247BC, in the month of Poson (June). Later, the Sri Lankan King sent a request to India for a Bhikkhuni (nun) to preach to the women folk. Theri Sanghamittai, sister of Mahinda Thero, went to Sri Lanka bringing with her a Bodhi tree and planted it in the Mahamewna Gardens. The Poson Festival is now celebrated annually to commemorate the introduction of Buddhism to Sri Lanka.

Until 29 BC, Buddhist teaching in Sri Lanka was passed down orally. Sumiththa Thero said Buddhist temples in Sri Lanka were unique. Each of them should include the following components: sangharama (for residence), uposathagharaya (chapter house for discussions/activities), ponds, Bodhi tree, stupa, image house (for ritual performances), and pirivane (school for monks). Buddhist monasteries can be categorized into four types: 1) Cave temples; 2) Forest hermitages; 3) Buddhist institutions; and 4) Gramavasi temples. But all temples follow the same architectural pattern at entrance, for example, there should be a half-moon stone, guard-stones, and korawakgala on the sides of the steps.

There are differently shaped stupas.

A bell shape stupa in Columbo
Photo source: Michael Coghlan (Flickr)

In everyday life, rituals and festivals are highly influenced by Buddhism. For instance, through alms-giving people accumulate and transfer merits to dead relatives. Bodhi-Puja is another widespread ritual for people to get rid of evil influences.

People offering food to monks
Photo source: Embassy of Sri Lanka, Washing DC

The Sri Lankans in Hong Kong are enthusiastic in maintaining important Buddhist rituals. For example, Bodhi Puja and Poson Day are observed annually. A Dhamma school is established to teach children about Buddhist traditions and knowledge. Cultural Days have been organized to showcase Sri Lankan traditions such as the Ves Dance and Devil Dance.

Dhamma school in Hong Kong

Photo Source: Internet

Ves dance performance
Photo Source: Eranga Chandrasena

Sumiththa Thero said it has been a challenge for Sri Lankans to practice Buddhism in Hong Kong because there is no Sri Lankan temple. They sometimes organized their activities in a Thai temple in Tai Po, but in general it was not easy to book a venue. The Dhamma school, for instance, was organized once a month, instead of once a week as the usual practice in Sri Lanka. Sumiththa Thero concluded that the Sri Lankan community has initiated discussion with government officials to plan the establishment of a Sri Lankan temple. It is very much looking forward to be materialized in the near future.

[“Multicultural Hong Kong in Celebration” Series] Matinee on Sundays: Cultural Festivals and Beauty pageants of Overseas Filipino Workers in Hong Kong

"The domestic helpers who actively participated in these events are certainly not just passively waiting to refresh their energy for another week’s domestic work. They are migrants aspiring to, first, find changes to build more promising careers and change their lives; and, secondly, foster a respectable identity and trustable community for themselves in Hong Kong."

—Ju-chen Chen 

Extract of the article:

"In these years of studying pageants of OFWs in Hong Kong, I constantly encountered doubts from non-foreign-domestic-helper friends: “Who? Helpers as beauty queens?” It is safe to argue that, by large, these vibrant fiestas and pageants are not known to the majority of Hong Kong society, even though they are held frequently and in public. The invisibility is resulted from the “segregation” of the foreign helper community from the mainstream society. Each of the 300,000 foreign domestic helpers is an intimate co-resident of a Hong Kong family. She nourishes kid(s), takes care of elders, cooks, washes and irons clothes, cleans up flats and runs errands. While some families are close to their gongren Jiejie (worker-big sister, a term widely used to refer to helpers in Hong Kong) and others don’t, outside each individual household, these women became strangers to the society. The most stereotypical image of Hong Kong maids on Sundays - sea of women sitting on “cardboard cubic” on footbridges or public areas - marginalized, anonymized and homogenized these migrant women. The spirited Filipino community and their vibrant activities are hidden from the public awareness by nothing other than the naive, if not biased, assumption that every single foreign domestic helper simply idles all day long on Sundays; chatting, lying and playing cards on road sides." (Chen 2015:64)

Want to know more about the lives of foreign domestic helpers in Hong Kong? Click here and read the full text article (published in Hong Kong Discovery Vol. 88 on 19 May 2015).

[Multiculturalism in Action Project 2016-17] Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan Culture Workshop

On 16 July, 2016, the Multiculturalism in Action (MIA) Project presented a seminar on Sri Lankan Culture and the Sri Lankan Community in Hong Kong. This is the first seminar of the fourth South Asian culture workshop in the MIA series, the Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan Culture Workshop. Dr. Thilina Weerasinghe, an engineering consultant working in Hong Kong, was invited to host the seminar.

Social Development

Dr. Weerasinghe started with “Ayubowan!”, a greeting in Sri Lanka, which means “May you live long”.

“Ayubowan” in English, Sinhalese (middle), and Tamil (right)
Photo credit: Venuka Glagoda (Google+)

Introducing Sri Lanka, he said that though it is a small country in terms of size (65610 km2) and population (21 million), it ranked 8th in the World Giving Index in 2015. It was also one of two countries (another one was the Maldives) which had the highest Human Development Index (HDI) among South Asian countries in 2015. After the civil war (1983-2009), Sri Lanka has been rapidly developed. It is most well-known for its natural scenic spots and beaches. Tourism has become an important industry.

In terms of gender, Dr. Weerasinghe said Sri Lanka is a male-dominated country, yet the family is based on mothers who usually make decisions at home. There have been many outstanding women in Sri Lankan history. For instance, Queen Anula (reigned 47BC – 42BC) was the first female head of state in Asia, Mrs. Sirimavo Bandaranaike was Prime Minister of Sri Lanka for three times (1960-65, 1970-77, 1994-2000) and was the first female Prime Minister in the world. At the moment, there are 13 women members of Parliament, making up 5.7% of members of the House and Senate.

Sri Lanka is a multicultural society. The Sinhalese form the largest portion of the population (more than 70%), followed by the Tamils, Muslims, Malays, and Burghers. The Burghers are descendants of marriages between the natives and Europeans (mainly Portuguese, Dutch, and British).

Religion and Culture

Religions practiced in Sri Lanka include Buddhism (70.1% of population), Hinduism (12.6%), Islam (9.7%), and Christianity (7.6%).  Most cultural practices, social values, and traditions in Sri Lanka have found their roots in Buddhism, which was introduced to Sri Lanka by Arahat Mihindu Thero in 300 BC. For instance, the Presidents and Prime Ministers of Sri Lanka were usually Buddhists; Ministry of Buddhasasana is established to enhance Buddhist beliefs in Sri Lanka. Besides, Buddhist festivals and rituals are practiced nationwide, such as the Katina ceremonies and the Bodhi-Puja.

The Sinhala Hindu new year, Aluth Avurudda, is celebrated on 13th or 14th of April. Dr. Weerasinghe explained that the whole nation will carry out the most important rituals at the same time according to the astrologist’s calculations. For instance, the whole nation eat the first meal of the new year at the same time. Interesting games such as kabaddi are played during the holidays.

Family gathering during Aluth Avurudda
Photo credit: The British Council

Another interesting feature in Sri Lanka is the use of astrology in daily life. It is believed that people’s time of birth defines their destiny and a Full Life Reading is made by an astrologist at birth. This Reading is commonly used in identifying a potential spouse. Parents believe that it is necessary that their children’s horoscopes be matched to guarantee a good marriage.

Dr. Weerasinghe said Sri Lanka had the spiciest of food and sweetest of tea. His favourite food was koththu, a mixture of godhamba roti (a flat bread made from wheat flour), vegetables, eggs, and spices. It was a common street food 20-30 years ago, but now it has become a delicacy in restaurants. He also shared with us how the Sri Lankans loved sweets. His family, for instance, used to add four spoons of sugar into a cup of tea.

Koththu
Photo credit: Amila Tennakoon (Flickr)

Sri Lankans in Hong Kong

According to Dr. Weerasinghe, there are about 2,000 Sri Lankans living in Hong Kong. They work in many different occupations, some are professors in universities, some are business people in trading and transport, and there are others who work as domestic workers and solicitors. Many of them feel that Sri Lanka’s traditions and festivals are important and they organize communal celebrations such as the new year Aluth Avurudda, and the Poson Festival celebrating the arrival of Buddhism in Sri Lanka.

[“Multicultural Hong Kong in Celebration” Series] The Hong Kong Rugby Sevens: A Festival of Globalization

"This experience underlines the way the whole event is a liminal time and space, a ritual that produces communitas, or what rugby people call camaraderie."

—Joseph Bosco

Extract of the article:

"The Hong Kong Sevens has many meanings. Some spectators come for the party, others to enjoy the rugby, and some businesspeople use it also for networking. The Olympic Committee’s decision to include rugby Sevens in the Rio 2016 Games was heavily influenced by Hong Kong’s experience. The Olympic principles of fair play, equal competition, and no racial, religious, or political discrimination are exemplified by the Hong Kong Sevens. Hong Kong’s business culture led to the innovation and early acceptance of corporate sponsorship, a major change when the sport was still amateur. The Sevens - first held in 1976 - grew along with Hong Kong’s growth as a financial center. Thus it is globalization that has made the Hong Kong Sevens the ideal festival for expressing contemporary cosmopolitan and capitalist ideals and values, in what on the surface seems just an entertaining sporting event." (Bosco 2015:66)

Want to know more about the cultural values of Hong Kong Rugby Sevens? Click here and read the full text article (published in Hong Kong Discovery Vol. 87 on 12 Mar 2015).

[“Multicultural Hong Kong in Celebration” Series] Durga Puja: an Indian festival in Hong Kong

"Durga Puja has become a multi-purpose occasion during which the Bengalis in Hong Kong bond as a community - through familiar smells, tastes and sounds, as well as through working together on marking a spiritual and social identity that is special to them and their next generation."

—Siumi Maria Tam and Winsome Lee

Extract of the article:

"Durga Puja, or the worship of Durga, is one of the most important festivals in India, and the biggest religious occasion for the Bengalis. It is the time to commemorate the Hindu goddess Durga’s victory over the demon buffalo, and hence a celebration of victory of good over evil. In Sanskrit Durga means invincible or inaccessible, representing the power of the Supreme Being, and is worshipped as the divine mother who preserves moral order and righteousness. Durga Puja is celebrated differently in various regions of India, and the length of the festival may vary from four to ten days. The festival includes daily worship, chanting and fasting, with the last four days celebrated in grandeur and feasting. Everywhere in India, Durga devotees build an outdoor pandal, or altar, specifically for this important occasion. Inside the pandal sits a huge sculpture of the goddess - Durga is depicted as a warrior wearing red, riding a lion or tiger, and with her ten arms each carrying different weapons she overpowers the demon buffalo." (Tam and Lee 2015:62)

Want to know more about the Indian festival Durga Puja? Click here and read the full text article (published in Hong Kong Discovery Vol. 86 on 13 Jan 2015).

[Virtual Museum] The Anthropological Meanings of Toys

The Virtual Museum at the Department of Anthropology, CUHK, offers the public a digital exhibition of ethnographic collections and archaeological artifacts collected by the teachers and students of the Department over the last three decades. Theme of current exhibition is "The Anthropological Meanings of Toys".

To view more displayed exhibits, please visit the website of Virtual Museum: http://arts.cuhk.edu.hk/~ant/museum/feature.php.

Toys are commonly regarded as objects for children to play with, which help children to explore their relationships with the world, and train them in the skills they need as they grow up. To anthropologists, toys also carry rich cultural meanings. Toys reflect the perceptions of different societies on the nature of childhood and play―a perception about how children’s nature can be cultured. (Schwartzman 1978:9) They also reveal the economic, sociocultural, and technological transformations that a society has gone through. (Schwartzman 1978:9)

The variety of toys is large and highly diversified, ranging from miniatures of objects commonly seen in daily life (e.g. toy train), to distorted or imaginative ones beyond everyday experience (e.g. monster figures). (Sutton-Smith 1986:248,252) Many toys convey gender values, such as kitchen sets and dolls aimed at girls, while toy cars and guns are meant for boys. These toys socialize children of different sexes to behave and grow up in accordance with the gender expectations of society.

The possession of toys is related to ideas of consumption. They teach children meanings of buying and selling, and help them to learn “the materialistic culture habits”. (Sutton-Smith 1986:2) In fact toys are not only consumed by children, but also by adults. Toys, in adult’s collections, may acquire a different set of meanings. They may be collected for the purpose of investment or speculation, or for a nostalgic feeling that enables the owner to reconnect with the past through toys with the same leitmotif. (Bosco 2001:266; McVeigh 2000:225)

Under globalization, toys may be deterritorialized and reterritorialized, during which some original features of the toys are kept and new cultural elements are incorporated. This is done to promote the product in the new market, but simultaneously it may lead to challenges or integration of cultural meanings from the originating and the receiving societies.

The symbolic values and representations carried by toys are meaningful not only to the players themselves, but also to their societies and to anthropologists. As Sutton-Smith argued, “Toys, apparently the most minimal of our concerns, turn out to be intimately related to many larger cultural patterns in the family, technology, schools, and the marketplace.” (1986:253)

Reference

Bosco, Joseph. 2001. “The McDonald’s Snoopy Craze in Hong Kong” in Gordon Mathews and Lui Tai-lok, eds. Consuming Hong Kong, pp. 263-285. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press.

McVeigh, Brian J. 2000. “How Hello Kitty Commodifies the Cute, Cool and Camp: ‘Consumutopia’ versus ‘Control’ in Japan.” Journal of Material Culture 2000:225-245.

Schwartzman, Helen B. 1978. Transformations: The Anthropology of Children’s Play. New York and London: Plenum Press.

Sutton-Smith, Brian. 1986. Toys as Culture. New York: Gardner Press.

[SEAA Hong Kong Conference 2016] East Asia and Tomorrow's Anthropology

The SEAA Hong Kong Conference 2016 “East Asia and Tomorrow's Anthropology” was successfully held on 19-22 June, 2016 at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. We were honored to have Professor Leung Yuen Sang, the Dean of Arts, to give a speech at the opening ceremony.

Prof. Leung Yuen Sang, the Dean of Arts, giving the opening speech at the conference

After the ceremony, we had invited Dr. Huang Shu-min from Academic Sinica, Dr. Takami Kuwayama from Hokkaido University, Dr. Kwang Ok Kim from Shandong University, Dr. Gordon Mathews from The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Dr. Ichiro Numazaki from Tohoku University, and Dr. Helen Siu from Yale University to hold a keynote panel and discuss on the topic “Overcoming the Gap between American Anthropology and East Asian Anthropologies”.

The keynote panel

More than 150 scholars coming from different countries presented their research at the conference. A total of 33 panels, focusing on various anthropological scopes such as identity, religion, gender, language, transnationalism, ethics, media, ecology, and medical practices, were organized. The panels had incited new dialogues on different anthropological topics.

Linessa, our PhD candidate, presenting her paper at the panel “Migrant Mobilities and Identities in East Asia: Ethnographic Inquiries into Subjectivities and Experiences”

Dr. Gordon Mathews and Leah, our MPhil graduate, having a musical performance at the welcoming banquet

The conference participants visited Chungking Mansions, the center of “low-end globalization” in Hong Kong, and had dinner in the restaurants inside the building

Three different field trips, respectively to the Big Buddha, to Hong Kong museums, and to Sham Shui Po and Shek Kip Mei, were also organized for the conference participants to know more about Hong Kong culture.

Marco and Man Kei, our PhD candidates, explaining to the conference participants the history and special features of Sham Shui Po

Last but not least, we would like to thank the keynote speakers, chairs and discussants of each panel, and all the participants who contributed to the success of this conference!

Call for Papers: The 9th Annual CUHK Postgraduate Student Forum

The 9th Annual CUHK Postgraduate Student Forum

“Engaged Asian Anthropology: Opportunities and Challenges”

The Department of Anthropology, Chinese University of Hong Kong, invites graduate students in Asia and elsewhere to present their current research at our 9th Postgraduate Student Forum: “Engaged Asian Anthropology: Opportunities and Challenges”. The Forum, to be held on 20-21 January 2017 (Friday and Saturday) at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, will showcase the best of students’ contemporary research on Asia. 

Hong Kong is a global city, a major node for trade, investment, and the exchange of ideas. The Postgraduate Student Forum seeks to encourage the communication among young anthropologists in and of the East and Southeast Asian region, to help improve their research and to make the excellent research being conducted in Asia to be better known internationally. 

Presentations and Panels

We accept proposals for individual papers ONLY this year. Papers of different topics are welcome, ethnographic work preferred. Papers will then be organized into panels. Each paper presentation will last 15 minutes; PowerPoint and multimedia equipment will be provided. The language of the forum will be English. 

How to Apply

·       Please fill the form online (http://goo.gl/forms/00ZX2wtzMYEAC8lG2).

·       If you cannot access the online form, please download it here (http://arts.cuhk.edu.hk/~ant/pgforum/PGSF9Abstract.xlsx ). Complete the form, rename it as PGSF9 + your name + your university/affiliation, e.g. PGSF9 +Jack Chen + Boston University, and send it to anthforum@cuhk.edu.hk

·       Deadline for abstract submission is 15 September 2016. 

  

Forum Dates 

20-21 January 2017 (Friday and Saturday)  

For additional information, please contact us

Website:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PGSF9

Email: anthforum@cuhk.edu.hk 

Telephone: +852 3943 7670

[HKAS seminar] At the edge of sleep: Insomnia, Time and Social Lives in Hong Kong

Title: At the edge of sleep: Insomnia, Time and Social Lives in Hong Kong
Speaker: David Tong (M.Phil. research student, Department of Anthropology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong)
Date and time: 7 July 2016, 7:00 p.m.
Venue: Lecture Hall, Ground Floor, Hong Kong Museum of History, 100 Chatham Road, Tsim Sha Tsui

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We all sleep; sleep is also commonly understood as an innate and private behavior devoid of socialization. Ethnographic studies of sleep in different societies however reveal its cultural variations. Together they join the force in questioning the 8 hours sleep, which is commonly naturalized and mythicized in post-industrial societies. Such a conceptual turn further invites us to reconsider the contemporary experiences of insomnia, which affects at least 1/10 of Hong Kong population. How is our distress over the loss of sleep exacerbated by the allocation of sleep in our society? Being at the edge of sleep, insomnia does not only entail individual distress, but further the social and temporal misalignment with the society. Yet in the process of mediating such misalignment, we will also discuss how people involve in the alternative ways of everyday life.

Following the talk, you are invited to a self-paying dinner with the speaker.

For more information, please contact Stan Dyer on 9746 9537 or anthrohk@gmail.com, www.cuhk.edu.hk/ant/hkas, orwww.facebook.com/hkanthro.