Hybridity and transculturality

Communication and cooperation between culturally diverse people and organizations are mostly described as intercultural, transnational or cross-border phenomena – a perspective that might not fit to all realities, for example, when being applied to Hong Kong. Since 1842, Hong Kong has been a “marginal man” between the East and the West: As a window for Western economic and cultural outreach to Asia as well as a Chinese gateway to the world, the city represents a unique microcosm for cultural convergence, contagion, divergence and hybridization to name but a few of the prevalent attributions. However, what if Hong Kong were neither a case of “either – or” nor a melting pot of cultures, but an example of the emergence of something new? What are the transcultural practices, spheres and competences that allow diversity and create commonality? This book introduces the transcultural approach and assembles the findings of a field project conducted by a group of young researchers from different cultural and disciplinary backgrounds. Being a transcultural experiment itself, the project analyzes the case of Hong Kong from the perspective of arts, geography, management, media, political science, and sociology. The result is a multi-faceted and complex picture of Hong Kong as a microcosm – of transculturality. Contents I. Transcultural Research in and about Hong Kong Josef Wieland, Julika Baumann Montecinos: Pioneering Transcultural Research Ross Cheung, J. Baumann Montecinos: Backgrounds and Composition of the Research Project R. Cheung: Why Hong Kong? R. Cheung: Some Reflections on Transculturality and Case Study Methods II. Transculturality or Hybridiidiidity? Interdisdisdisciplinary Perspectivives on the Case of Hong Kong Max Röcker: The History and Transformation of Hong Kong’s Elites R. Cheung: Transcultural Migrants from and in Hong Kong Ofelia Esther Señas: Can Art Fairs Expedite Societal Development and Change towards Transculturality? Elisabeth Jung: Transculturality and Journalism in Hong Kong Tanja Savanin: Transcultural Management in Hong Kong Wai-wan Vivien Chan: Corporate Transnationalism, Identity Politics and Career Mobility: A Case Study of Hong Kong Chinese Female Bankers Tobias Grünfelder: From hybridity to transculturality. The transcultural approach as a promising process for Hong Kong? Annex: The Joint Declaration and its Implementation