Martialling bodies : sporting territoriality and body politics in Hong Kong

Abstract

This thesis presents an original ethnographic study on the politicisation of sports and body politics in Hong Kong against the backdrop of post-social movement time. By examining two non-elite, non-competitive sports groups as case studies, the study explores how individuals and groups across the political spectrum use sports as a form of informal political engagement and personal development. The research is grounded in data collected from a 16-month ethnographic immersion and through semi-structured interviews with members (n=25) from these groups.

Introducing the original theoretical construct of sporting territoriality, the study investigates two sports group with opposing political orientations. It examines how a pro-democracy fitness club engaged in district-level political work and how a pro-Beijing Chinese martial arts centre promoted national education in Hong Kong. Sporting territoriality explores how individuals and groups shape and transform social spaces through sporting practices. Additionally, the thesis uses a model of neo-paternalistic leadership to analyse how masculinity influences the sustainability of these groups, drawing from Farh and Cheng’s (2000) paternalistic leadership framework.

This thesis argues that various sporting practices are a means of sporting territoriality, allowing sports groups to advance their own political agenda, whether they are about local or national identities. This research has four key theoretical findings and implications. First, individuals and groups across the political spectrum use sporting territoriality and bodily capital in post-social movement Hong Kong to advance various causes. Second, these sports groups are sustained by the foundational elements of voluntary leadership and altruism for their respective sports. Third, neo-paternalistic leadership guides the gendered nature of non-competitive sports organisations. Fourth, political capital attracts funders to provide economic capital, enabling these groups to thrive, expand, or contract within the current Hong Kong context.

To sum up, this thesis introduces the original theory of sporting territoriality and a revised model of neo-paternalistic leadership. By situating non-competitive sports practices within sports scholarship and offering a fresh perspective on post-social movement dynamics, it enriches the discourse on the politicisation of sports and body politics. This contribution extends to the realms of the sociology of sport, social movement studies, masculinity studies, and Hong Kong studies.