Bulletin Autumn‧Winter 2000

T w o Th e o r i es to Explain Political Ap a t hy Before the 70s, most scholars of Hong Kong studies were from overseas. They had no roots in Hong Kong, nor any knowledge of Cantonese an d Chinese customs and traditions. As their research could only proceed from the perspective of the administration, it was not without bias. Professor of sociology at the University Ambrose King came forth wit h the theory of administrative absorption of politics in the 70s, po i n t i ng out that the Ho n g Kong government was making use of different official organizations to assimilat e the Chinese elite into its system, with the aim of strengthening th e legitimacy of th e colonial administration and reducing demands from and conflicts in society. In addition, Hong Kong society was far less politicized at the time, with most people concentrating on economic activities. As a result, remarkable achievements in Hon g Kong's economy was achieved within a short span of 20 years. Prof. Lau Siu-kai himself reexamined Hon g Kong's political culture i n the 70s to understand why, unlike other colonies at the time. Hong Kong did no t suffer from political instability or unrest. He analysed, using questionnaire surveys, the mentality and structur e of Hong Kong society, and found that man y social institutions and groups (the most important of which being the family) played very significan t roles in solving important social problems, which, in other colonies, were left to the government. He pu t forwar d the theory of social accommodation of politics, pointing ou t that the Hong Kong government seldom interfered wit h the lives of the citizens, wh o were largely content with their lot. The theories of the two sociology professors effectively explain Hon g Kong's political situation before the 80s. They have been highly influential, serving as the basis for present day research int o the local political culture. Prof. Ambrose King T r a c i ng Ch a n g es in H o n g Kong's Political Cu l t u r e Over the last 15 years, Prof. Lau gradually shifted from pure academic research to solving practical, real-life problems. 'Academia for academia's sake is not enough. Sociologists should be able to apply their knowledge for the benefit of society,' he said. And he hopes to see more scholars in the field participating in public discussions and voicing thei r views over social and political issues. City Forum in session CHINES E UNIVERSIT Y BULLETI N Autumn .Winter 2000 26