ABSTRACT
This chapter addresses the question of the extent to which the local concern groups can mobilize the residents of the two Aged Temporary Housing Areas (ATHAs), namely the Kowloon Bay and the Ping Shek Temporary Housing Areas (THAs), to sustain their protests in the context of a political system. It examines the forms of political participation in the two ATHAs in order to depict the opportunities offered to the ATHA residents for participation in political activities. The chapter presents a brief review of two general conceptions of the nature and characteristics of a social base. It identifies the factors determining the extent of the ‘mobilization potential’ in the Kowloon Bay and Ping Shek THAs respectively. The most common form of local residents association in Hong Kong is the Mutual Aid Committee. The chapter discusses whether the characteristic of the individual residents or the degree of groupness among the residents is more significant to the residents’ participation.
