Unit Outline
Claiming to be “Asia’s World City”, Hong Kong is a culturally diverse society with people of many different ethnic backgrounds, mixing and living together all across the territory. Yet this wasn’t always so. Prior to its founding as a British colony in 1842, Hong Kong was culturally a part of China and remains so today since being handed back to Chinese sovereignty in 1997. Due to these changes, the cultural and physical diversity of Hong Kong has increased exponentially, creating the ‘melting pot’ that we know today.
In order to better understand this melting pot, this unit aims to describe and explain the patterns and process leading to changes in cultural diversity over time in Hong Kong. Students will learn about the historical, geographical and religious influences on culture within Hong Kong and how different areas and neighbourhoods have developed. This will culminate in an investigation into identifying and explaining cultural influences from different time periods in a students’ home area or a neighbourhood of their choice in Hong Kong.
In order to better understand this melting pot, this unit aims to describe and explain the patterns and process leading to changes in cultural diversity over time in Hong Kong. Students will learn about the historical, geographical and religious influences on culture within Hong Kong and how different areas and neighbourhoods have developed. This will culminate in an investigation into identifying and explaining cultural influences from different time periods in a students’ home area or a neighbourhood of their choice in Hong Kong.
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statement of inquiry
Communities experience cultural changes over time which can increase their diversity
global context
Orientation in Time and Space (Natural and human landscapes and resources) - Students will explore personal histories; homes and journeys; turning points in humankind; discoveries; explorations and migrations of humankind; the relationships between, and the interconnectedness of, individuals and civilizations, from personal, local and global perspectives.
key concept
Change - Change is a conversion, transformation, or movement from one form, state or value to another. Inquiry into the concept of change involves understanding and evaluating causes, processes and consequences.
For individuals and societies, the concept of change allows examination of the forces that shape the world: past, present and future. The causes and effects of change can be natural and artificial; intentional and unintentional; positive, negative or neutral. The subject group explores the role of individuals and societies in shaping change. related concepts
Beliefs (PRS) - Religious belief is the belief in the reality of the mythological, supernatural, or spiritual aspects of a religion. Religious belief is distinct from religious practice or religious behaviours with some believers not practicing religion and some practitioners not believing religion. Religious beliefs, being derived from ideas that are exclusive to religion, often relate to the existence, characteristics and worship of a deity or deities, divine intervention in the universe and human life, or explanations for the values and practices centred on the teachings of a spiritual leader or group. In contrast to other belief systems, religious beliefs are usually written down.
Culture (History) - Culture encompasses a range of unique experiences, behaviours, customs and ways of knowing within human communities throughout history. Culture is usually transmitted from generation to generation and it affects the way people perceive their world and the way they behave. Culture can be dynamic or static and is often examined by historians in relation to the time, place and space of historical events, processes or developments. Historians often examine changes in culture in order to make comparisons between the past and the present. Culture is a system. Diversity (Geography) - The point or aspect by which things differ is critical to the study of geography both in the human and physical senses. Both the human and physical world have differences that intrinsically mesh to create a planet of diversity and a unique world. Places, environments and peoples are diverse. Diversity can be investigated over time and space. The focus could be on physical or cultural diversity. |
1. What is cultural diversity?
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Understanding the concepts of 'culture', 'cultural change' and 'cultural diversity' is vital so that we can better describe Hong Kong's famous melting-pot culture. This lesson will therefore seek to understand these terms by examining some of HK's more unique cultural aspects.
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2. How did beliefs differ in pre-Colonial Hong Kong?
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Before 1842, Hong Kong was home to various clans and tribes of villagers whose religious could be described as ‘traditional Chinese’. This lesson seeks to understand Chinese religious culture in Hong Kong as a way to better understand the diversity of the city.
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3. How did the British change Hong Kong's culture?
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The arrival of the British in 1842 marks the start of Hong Kong’s colonial period which ended in 1997. During this period, Hong Kong changed dramatically as Western and Eastern cultures mixed. But what remains today of British colonial culture? And should we both to preserve it?
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4. What can we learn about culture from the local area?
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Despite the rapid changes that Hong Kong has undergone, aspects of its traditional Chinese and British colonial cultures can still be found throughout the city. A field-trip is thus the perfect way to explore how local areas in HK have evolved over time.
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5. How does globalisation influence culture today?
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HK is world famous for being a ‘global’ city in which world cultures meet. But HK has also become increasingly exposed to globalisation, becoming home to many Chinese, American and other international businesses, people, and cultures. But is this globalisation a good?
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6-7. Assessment: How culturally diverse are HK neighborhoods?
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This unit has explored the process of cultural change throughout Hong Kong. Understanding the impact of this on the cultural diversity of Hong Kong’s many neighborhoods is thus the purpose of this final assessment inquiry.
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8. Reflection: Should we bother to preserve cultural diversity?
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As you have discovered, Hong Kong today is a cultural diverse and vibrant city with a long and varied history. Yet this diversity is in danger of disappearing. In the face of rapid change, how can we best preserve our historical buildings and cultural treasures? And should we even bother?
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