National Identity and Internet: A Cohort Study in Hong Kong

Heng Lu 1*, Tai-Quan Peng 2, Jonathan J. H. Zhu 1

1. City University of Hong Kong;2. Macau University of Science and Technology* Ph.D. Candidate, Web Mining Lab, Department of COM

Conceptualization of National Identity

• National identity is dynamically constructed

• Collective (vs. individual)

• Affective (vs. informative)

• Changing Context: Globalization; Subnational, national, supranational forms of citizenship (e.g., EU, China, Canada)

Operationalization of National IdentityLocal vs. National

Local National

Single

Hybrid

Hong Konger Chinese

Chinese first, then Hong Konger

Hong Konger first, then Chinese

Operationalization of National Identity: Single vs. Hybridized

Local National

Single

Hybrid

Hong Konger Chinese

Chinese first, then Hong Konger

Hong Konger first, then Chinese

Claims and Propositions

National identity is cohort-dependent

Internet effect is cohort-dependent

Impressionable-year (socialization)

Aging-stability

Why Hong Kong?

• National identity in Hong Kong has no obvious nationalistic component.

• Internet penetration rate increasing steadily from 40% in 2000 to 69% in 2008.

Aims of the Current Study

• To describe the cohort trend of national identity in Hong Kong

• To empirically examine the effects of Internet adoption and Internet use on national identity respectively

• To uncover the conditional effect of the generational cohort on the relationship between Internet adoption/use and national identity

Hypotheses: Main Effects• H1. The younger cohort an individual belongs to, the

more likely he/she will have a hybridized national identity. • H2. Internet users are more likely to have a hybridized

national identity than Internet non-users. • H3a. The more time an individual spends on the Internet,

the more likely he/she will have a hybridized national identity.

• H3b. The more diverse websites an Internet user visits, the more likely he/she will have a hybridized national identity.

Hypotheses: Moderate Effect

• H4. The effect of Internet adoption on Hong Kong identity is moderated by cohorts.

Method• Source: HKIP data from 2000 to 2008

(except for 2007). • Survey: Annual telephone surveys • Respondents: HK regular residences

between 18 to 77 years old who speak Chinese (including Mandarin, Cantonese, and other dialectics)

• Analysis: Logistic Regression

Age Trends with Hybridized NI (within periods)

18-22 23-27 28-32 33-37 38-42 43-47 48-52 53-57 58-62 63-67 68-72 73-770

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

2000 2001 2002 20032004 2005 2006 2008

Age

Hon

g K

onge

rs w

ith H

ybri

dize

d N

atio

nal I

dent

ities

(%)

Period Trends with Hybridized NI (within cohorts)

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2008 -

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Seniors Baby Boom Generation

Generation X Generation Y

Overall

Period

Hon

g K

onge

rs w

ith H

ybri

dize

d N

atio

nal I

dent

ities

(%)

Cohort Trends with Hybridized NI (within age)

Seniors Baby Boom Generation Generation X Generation Y0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

23-27 28-32 33-37

38-42 53-57 58-62

Cohort

Hon

g K

onge

rs w

ith H

ybri

dize

d N

atio

nal I

dent

ities

(%)

Hybridized NI Holders by IA by Cohorts

Users Nonusers0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Seniors

Baby Boom Genera-tion

Generation X

Generation Y

Internet Adoption

Hon

g K

onge

rs w

ith H

ybri

dize

d N

atio

nal I

dent

ities

(%)

Implications

• Cohort differences in political attitude

• Revival of limited effects: Internet adoption (!) Internet use (?)

• Internet effects are cohort-dependent

• Theorizing national identity

Appendix 1: Summary statistics for variables used in regression models

Appendix 2: Logistic Regression Models (1)

Appendix 3: Logistic Regression Models (2)

• Thanks for your attention!• Questions, Suggestions and Comments

are welcome!• Contact me (Heng Lu) at

luheng9@gmail.com