Paradigm City

Janet Ng

Description

Hong Kong is often cast in the role of the paradigmatic "global city," epitomizing postmodernism and globalization, and representing a vision of a cosmopolitan global and capitalist future. In Paradigm City, Janet Ng takes us past the obsession with 1997—the year of Hong Kong's return to China—to focus on the complex uses and meanings of urban space in Hong Kong in the period following that transfer. She demonstrates how the design and ordering of the city's space and the practices it supports inculcates a particular civic aesthetic among Hong Kong's population that corresponds to capitalist as well as nationalist ideologies. Ng's insightful connections between contemporary film, literature, music, and other media and the actual spaces of the city—such as parks, shopping malls, and domestic spaces—provide a rich and nuanced picture of Hong Kong today.

List of Illustrations
Acknowledgments
Introduction

1. “World Suicide Capital”

2. Walking Down Memory Lane: On the Streets of the Hong Kong History Museum’s Paradigm City

3. Quality Citizens in Public Spaces

4. The World Emporium and the Mall City

5. Body Weight, Responsible Citizenship, and Women’s Social Space

6. Homecoming from Cosmopolitanism

Conclusion
Notes
Bibliography
Index

Sujets

• Popular culture
• History of Asia
• Asia

Informations

• Publié par: State University of New York Press
• Date de parution: 18 décembre 2008
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780791477229
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 3 Mo

Extrait

This page intentionally left blank.

paradigm city

SUNY series in Global Modernity

Arif Dirlik, editor

paradigm city

Space, Culture, and Capitalism in Hong Kong

Janet Ng

Published by State University of New York Press, Albany

©State University of New York Press, Albany

All rights reserved

Printed in the United States of America

No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written per- mission. No part of this book may be stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means including electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior permission in writing of the publisher.

For information, contact State University of New York Press, Albany, NY www.sunypress.edu

Production by Ryan Morris Marketing by Anne M. Valentine

Library of Congress of Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Ng, Janet. Paradigm city : space, culture, and capitalism in Hong Kong / Janet Ng. p. cm. (SUNY series in global modernity) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978–0–7914–7665–9 (hardcover : alk. paper) 1. Hong Kong (China)—Politics and government—1997– 2. Popular culture—China— Hong Kong. 3. Hong Kong (China)—Social conditions—20th century. 4. Hong Kong (China)—History—Transfer of Sovereignty from Great Britain, 1997. I. Title.

JQ1539. 5 . A58N4 2009 951.2506—dc22

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

2008005521

List of Illustrations Acknowledgments Introduction

o n e “World Suicide Capital”

Contents

t w o Walking Down Memory Lane: On the Streets of the Hong Kong History Museum’s Paradigm City

t h r e e Quality Citizens in Public Spaces

f o u r The World Emporium and the Mall City

f i v e Body Weight, Responsible Citizenship, and Women’s Social Space

s i x Repatriating from Globalization

Conclusion Notes Bibliography Index

v

vi vii 1













   

Illustrations

Fig..: Bounce Back, Hong Kong! Fig..: Murray House

Fig..: Protestors gathering in Victoria Park Fig..: Victoria Park Rules Fig..: Hong Kong Park Fig..: Escalator to Hong Kong Park Fig..: Escalator to Hong Kong Park through shopping mall Fig..: The Lippo Center looms over Hong Kong Park Fig..: Tai Ping Street Park

Fig..8: Victoria Harbour Promenade Fig..: Rules of Conduct Fig..: More Rules Fig..: Pedestrian Walkway in Central Fig..: Harbour City Mall Complex Fig..: Weight-loss mania Fig..: Women Workers Cooperative Fig..: Long Hair

vi

       

        

Acknowledgments

As usual, there are many people to thank for the completion of a major project. I am sure the following list is less than complete. I would like to publicly acknowledge the institutions and colleagues who have inspired and supported this project in material and uncountable ways. I thank the City University of New York, PSC Awards for offering grant money for course releases to enable me to write during the academic year and subvention toward publication costs. I have benefited immensely as a fellow at the Center for Place, Culture, and Politics at the Graduate Center, City University of New York. In particular, I am grateful to Poyin Auyeung, Carmen Bellet, Ashley Dawson, Efrat Eizenberg, Cheryl Fish, Anders Hansen, David Harvey, Valerie Imbruce, Anru Lee, Paula Massood, Emily Pugh, Stephanie Sapiie, Neil Smith, Bill Solecki, Ida Susser, and Stephan Tonnelat (in alphabetical order). Our weekly discussion for a year was valuable to me, as are the wonderful friends I made. A number of people slogged through parts of my drafts, especially Dalia Kandiyoti, Ashley Dawson, and Setha Low, as well as the various anonymous reviewers of my individual essays and the book manuscript. There are also a number of friends and colleagues with whom I am engaged in different projects or whom I constantly bounced ideas off of: Anru Lee, Kate Crehan, Samira Haj, Ida Susser, and Stephan Tonnelat. I am also grateful to all my colleagues at the College of Staten Island, especially in the Department of English, who have been challenging, supportive, and inspiring in many different ways; many have become great friends. Our departmental secretaries, Ann-Marie Franzese, Janet Sadowski, and Susan Chapman have been invalu- able in the everyday life at work. I thank all my students, graduate and

vii

viii

Acknowledgments

undergraduate, who have been indulgent and patient. Finally, I also owe much thanks to the editors and staff at the State University of New York Press, espe- cially Andrew Kenyon, Larin McLaughlin, and Ryan Morris, whose kind assistance has made the collaboration a pleasure. I reserve my expression of gratitude toward family members and intimates to more personal venues.