Social Movement Participation and Change in Citizenship Beliefs: Insights from Longitudinal Research Among Hong Kong Youth

Many Hong Kong youth participated in anti-government demonstrations in 2019/20, but the political context has changed significantly in the years since. Opposition voices have become relatively quiet, and electoral reforms have further contributed to limited political activism. These changes beg the question of whether young people’s attitudes towards citizenship have also changed and how citizenship norms are related to young people’s social movement participation. This paper examines longitudinal data of Hong Kong youth over a four-year period, showing that both traditional and postmodern norms have declined markedly after that unsuccessful protest movement of 2019/20. The analysis also identifies three citizenship norms profiles reflecting distinct perceptions of ‘good’ citizenship. Among youth holding a ‘Dutiful’ profile, perceptions of good citizenship remained relatively stable over time. Youth with an ‘Engaged’ profile supported postmodern values initially, but their endorsement of all types of citizenship norms declined after the demise of the 2019/20 anti-government social movement. Finally, citizenship norms deteriorated most markedly and especially quickly among youth in a ‘Disengaged’ profile compared to those in the ‘Engaged’ group. Citizenship norms were also linked to political participation, efficacy, and satisfaction, providing further evidence of an ongoing process resulting in young people’s political disillusionment and subsequent political disengagement following the unsuccessful social movement and subsequent reforms limiting political activism in Hong Kong. These findings are discussed with respect to the potential causes of politicization and depoliticization and broader implications for social movement participation in semi-democratic and authoritarian societies.