Attitude of United College Students towards Politics United College Final Year Project Group 56 Group members Chen Kit Wing Lam Tan Ying Lee Siu Hung Tse.

Attitude of United College Students towards Politics

United College Final Year Project

Group 56

Group members Chen Kit Wing Lam Tan Ying Lee Siu Hung Tse Ying

Introduction During Chief Executive Election and National

Curriculum Protest, many students express their

opinion through different ways like Facebook and

911 Class Suspension

Introduction

拉闊反國教戰線︰學界應該站得更前Broaden the anti-brainwash campaign; the students should stand-up

Introduction

• Find out the attitudes of UC students towards politics and the reason behind it and thus conducting the research.

Introduction

• The reduced occurrence of student movement made us review the significance of being a university student

• How does the current UC students thinks about the role they play in politics may explain the phenomenon

• The active online social expression V.S the multimedia

Introduction

達明一派 十個救火的少年    …  十個決定去救火的少年  the young man decided to put out the fire.     其中一位想起他少鍛鍊   one of them thought that he’s not fit.     實在是危險　報了名便算 it’s too dangerous for him, he gave up.     另有別個勇敢的成員 there must be someone who is stronger and have courage.     為了要共愛侶一起更甜  to stick with his lover     靜悄靜悄　便決定轉身竄  he slowly, quietly flee from them     又有為了母親的勸勉  also due to his mother’s words,     在這社會最怕走得太前… ” do not be too over-expose in this society.”

Introduction

The psychological aspect of a Hong Kong teenage

Newspaper claims that Hong Kong teenager or young people are political apathetic.

Introduction

 • Two research methods

• questionnaire • group and individual interview

Introduction

• Questionnaire: investigate the general attitude of UC students towards politics

• Interviews: in depth investigation on the reasons behind the UC students’ attitudes

Area of interest

The political attitude of United

College Students• WHAT is their political attitude?• WHY is that so?

Methodologies

• Qualitative Method– Cannot generalize

the result obtained

• Quantitative Method– Don’t know the

reason behind the statisticsWHY NOT

COMBINE THEM?

Methodology

Triangulation• A combination for quantitative and qualitative approach to

study one phenomena• “Triangulation aims to reveal complementarily,

convergence and dissonance among the findings.” - The use of Triangulation in Social Sciences Research: Can qualitative and quantitative methods be combined?' Ashatu Hussein Journal of Comparative Social Work 2009/1

Advantages: overcome the limitation of one methodological approach, highlighting “the within-and between types”.

Methodology

Quantitative Approach•  quantitatively presenting the degree of

politic assertiveness• e.g. number of people going to

demonstration•  survey

• 1) Personal Information• 2) Political Activity• 3) Political Knowledge

Methodology

2) Political Activity

1) Have you been involved in any protest group, rally

and/or demonstration in the past year? • If the answer to the above questions is “yes”,

• 1a) Have you joined the “7-29 No brain wash rally”? • 1b) Have you joined the “1st July rally” in 2012? • 1c) Have you joined the class suspension on the 1st

September, 2012? ______ Yes _______ No • 1d) If you had involved in other kinds of rally or protest

groups?• 1e) Did you vote for the current legislative council?

Methodology

3) Political Knowledge• Questions about recent issues.

• No “brain-wash” campaign• Universal Suffrage of the Chief

Executive.• Scores was added for correct

answers.

Methodology• Qualitative Approach

• Aims at searching for the reason behind such phenomenon

• Method used• Focus group• Interview of a significant

person

Quantitative Method

Questionnaires

Questionnaires

Sample needed

Sample percentage needed : 0.0106%

Target : United College student

No. of United College student : 2964

Least sample needed : 0.0106% * 2964

≈32

Questionnaires

Information• Internet questionnaires

• http://esurvey.psy.cuhk.edu.hk/SE/?SID=SV_aaf064NiHQjpH6Z

• No. of questionnaires received : 101• No. of valid questionnaires : 91• Percentage of valid questionnaires : 90%

Questionnaires

Information• 16 questions• 3 parts:

1. Personal information2. Experience about joining of political

meetings or protests3. Questions about information of

national education and policy of HK government

Questionnaires

Question 1• In the past year, have you participated in any

political meetings and protests？

• Result:

Option Number Precentage

Yes 46 51%

No 45 49%

Questionnaires

51%49%

In the past year, have you partic-ipated in any political meetings

and protests ？

YesNo

Questionnaires

Result:• 49% of student have not• Show that they almost half of them never

join• 49% not active in politic

Questionnaires

Question 2• Have you ever join the Hong Kong 1 July

protests？

Result:Option Number Precenta

ge

Yes 10 11%

No 81 89%

Questionnaires

11%

89%

Have you ever join the Hong Kong 1 July protests ？

YesNo

Questionnaires

Hong Kong 1 July protests:• The biggest protests in Hong Kong• But only 11% of student join it before• What politics activities they join?

Questionnaires

Question 3• Have you taken part in the suspension of

11, September, 2012?

Result:

Option NumberPercenta

geYes 38 42%No 53 58%

Questionnaires

42%

58%

Have you taken part in the sus-pension of 11, September, 2012?

YesNo

Questionnaires

Result:• 42 % of student Yes• Many student care about national

education• Relate to themselves

Questionnaires

Question 4• Do you have confidence that Leung Chun-

ying as the Chief Executive ？

Result:

Option NumberPercentag

eYes 12 13%No 48 53%No

comment 31 34%

Questionnaires

13%

53%

34%

Do you have confidence that Leung Chun-ying as the Chief Executive ？

YesNoNo comment

Questionnaires

Result :• 53% of them no comment• Show that they are not interested

about the Hong Kong government

Questionnaires

Part 2• 5 True or False questions• About the National education of Hong

Kong• 3 option:

• True• False• No idea

QuestionnairesResult of 5 question:

Result Number Percentage

Correct 202 44%

Incorrect 52 11%

No ideal 201 44%

Questionnaires

44%

11%

44%

Result of the question about national education

CorrectIncorrectNo ideal

Questionnaires

44 % of student have no idea

12 % of student incorrect

56 % of student don’t know some information

about national education

Show that they are not care about the

information about national education

Questionnaires

Part 3• About the policy of Hong Kong

government• 4 True or False questions• 3 option:

• True• False• No idea

Questionnaires

Result:

Result Number Percentage

Correct 113 31%

Incorrect 96 26%

No ideal 155 43%

Questionnaires

31%

26%

43%

Result of the question about Hong Kong government 's policy

CorrectIncorrectNo ideal

Questionnaires

43 % of student have no idea

26 % of student incorrect

69 % of student don’t know some information

about policy of Hong Kong government

Show that they are not interest about the

information about policy of Hong Kong government

Questionnaires

Conclusion• Not active in politic activities• Knowledge of Hong Kong politic condition is low• Not interest in Hong Kong politic condition

• Nation education • More active• Related to them

Qualitative Method

Focus Group

Focus Group

Background of interviewees• From different faculties:

Art, Education, Engineering, Science, Social Science, Business

• From different years:Year 3- 3Year 2- 3Year 1- 1

Focus Group

Source of political knowledge:• Online forum• Online news website• Facebook• Friends

Focus Group

Reasons of participating in political

activities:• Want to declare own stance• Agree with organizing unit’s stance • Convenient to get there• Want to raise government

awareness

Focus Group

Reasons of not participating in political events:• Self-oriented:

lazy, convenience, personal stuff

• Historical social event: lack of sympathy, lack of knowledge

Focus Group

Attitude towards anti-national

education:• Not against the subject

but against the guideline• Need to have understanding

of China

Focus Group

People they will discuss social issue with…• Friends meet in secondary school• Friends meet in University

**faculty of Social Science/ Art: discuss with

friends from department

**Other faculty: discuss with college friends

Focus Group

College peers:• Share self-issue and college

life• Seldom discuss about

political, social issue• Mutually affect→ similar

stance

Focus Group

Self-observation in university:• Lack of political awareness among

college, university students• No discussion, no awareness• Faculty of social science student more

aware of political issue• Have feeling, no action• Workloads of major affect students’

awareness• U-life discourage political awareness

Focus Group

Analysis:• Art, Social Science, Education: lower

participation• Engineering, Science, Business: higher

participation• Media influence• College influence depends on years• Department/ major have greater

influence

Qualitative Method

In Depth Interview

In Depth Interview

Background of Interviewee• Jask So• United College• History/ year 2• Vice-editor of CUHK Student post.• Lived in Adamschall Residence for

two years

In Depth Interview

Reasons of choosing Jack So:• Experienced the political

atmosphere for two years• Supposed to have certain extent of

political concern

In Depth Interview

Self-political knowledge:• Originally interested in political

when studying secondary school• Concern raised by History lesson • Political stand point: more or less

agree with Leftist• In favor of some local political

parties

In Depth Interview

Views over political events:• Concern the effectiveness• Aim is to put pressure on government• The power of Student Activism• University Student: leading role• Successful in foreign and also in the

past

In Depth Interview

How University life affect him:• Reinforce political concern• Diversify social issue understanding

(esp. after joining Student post)

• College:• Hostel provided : enough energy• No activities enhance political awareness

In Depth Interview

Observations over United College student:• Expected university student pay

attention to political issue• Image from ocamp, hall life:• No political concern• No social issue discussion• No self-reflection• Just for fun

In Depth Interview

Opinions• Disappointed• Action taken by Student Union:

CUSU , NASU , other SU • No longer have political stance• Not involved in political

movement

Literature Review《國家‧

社會關係與八九北京學運》

趙鼎新

著

…those famous universities in BeiJing post up posters immediately to voice their opinion……..…but I am happy and relieved that students point out a series of serious society problems in public……after 10 years of revolution, Chinese had boarden their horizon and became more open to others’ opinion…..

Literature Review

“The manifold references to Alienation may, for the sake of classification, be classified under three subtypes - Powerlessness, Normlessness and Social Isolation.”

Alienation and Political ApathyDwight G. DeanSocial ForcesVol. 38, No. 3 (Mar., 1960), pp. 185-189

Literature Review

“It is concluded that the three independent variables are for the most part,additive in their effects on the extent and direction of participation in a localpolitical issue.

Status, Anomia, Political Alienation, and Political Participation.Easton, David American Journal of Sociology Vol. 68 No. 2 (1962) ,pp. 205-13.

Literature Review

1970 “Dimensions of Political Alienation.” American Political Science Review 64 （ 2 ） : 389-410.Gamson, William A.

1975 “Political Alienation in Contemporary America.” New York: St. Martin’s Press.Gurr, Ted

Literature Review

1979 “Trends in Aggregate-Level Political Alienation.”Sociological QuarterlyMill, Arthur H.

1993 “Political Alienation and Efficacy.”In Measures of Political Attitudes, Volume 2 of Measures of Social Psychological Attitudes. Eds John P. Robinson, Philip R. Shaver, and Lawrence S. Wrightsman. New York: Academic Press. Pp.413-64.

Conclusion

United college students generally not interested in

political issue

College life : not much influence

Major/ faculty: have influence

Political attitude mainly built in the past

College can hold some activities to waken students’

awareness

Improvement

The focus group does not include the Faculty of

Medicine and 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 Law

Difficult to invite the people to the group interview

invite them earlier and make sure they could come

on that day

Suggestion

For schools• political issues can be added into the subjects

• discuss more about the issues in the class• encourage the students to watch more news• increase the workload related to political

issue instead of the spoon-fed education

For United college• political issues in their general education

Suggestion

For CUSU• may encourage the student

union of the other colleges to join the political activities

invite more students to come to the

political events

Acknowledgement

Dr William Smith

Jack So

The interviewees in our focus group

THANK YOU !!Any question?