Growing with the exodus, influencing the communities : a social history of the protestant churches and the daily life of Hong Kong in the latter half of the twentieth century

Abstract

This thesis examines the special roles of Protestant churches in the daily life of Hong Kong in the latter half of the twentieth century, with consideration of their specific social and historical context. During the latter half of the twentieth century, Protestant churches had a considerable impact on the daily lives of residents in Hong Kong, including new immigrants from mainland China. This thesis demonstrates that geographical imagination significantly influenced these new Chinese immigrants, the local government, and foreign charitable organizations during the 1950s and 1960s, since each perceived Hong Kong as a different type of territory. This thesis illustrates that this complex geographical imagination influenced the development of social welfare services in Hong Kong during the 1950s and 1960s. Additionally, this study introduces the unique social environment of Hong Kong during the 1950s, which was related to the unfinished Chinese Civil War and the Cold War environment. It also shows how the different denominations of Protestant churches accommodated the various needs of residents, especially the new Chinese immigrants, with positive policy support from the local government. These needs included food, living, education and work. Furthermore, this thesis demonstrates the role of Protestant churches as a unique community space in Hong Kong during this specific period, as well as the active roles of ordinary people in such spaces. In addition, this thesis demonstrates the continuous influence of Protestant church schools on the values of the residents, as well as assessing the extent of their influence and the reasons why it extended as far as it did.