ABSTRACT
Analyses pertaining to the Umbrella Movement often focus on the rise of political activism and democratic process. However, the struggle for democracy and universal suffrage also reveals deep contradictions in the social and economic order, including the growth in inequality and the decreasing opportunities for the educated youth and the middle class – with Hong Kong being one of the most unequal global metropolises in the world. The protesters not only aimed to fight for democracy and the protection of civil liberties, but they also wanted to promote a fairer economic and social system. The book shows that the structure of the economic system has not only generated inequality, but also declining prospects for the educated youths, given that salaries have mostly stagnated since the handover and social mobility has been at a very low point. In addition, the local economy is marked by economic rents, which are detrimental to the middle class. The book suggests that this situation is generated by Hong Kong’s economic evolution since the 1960s, globalization, and the upsurge of China as a global power (all points are to be developed in the ensuing chapters), while Hong Kong itself has difficulties in recognizing its new roles in the changing world.
