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Article: The internet and civil society: Environmental and labour organizations in Hong Kong

TitleThe internet and civil society: Environmental and labour organizations in Hong Kong
Authors
Issue Date2005
PublisherBlackwell Publishing Ltd. The Journal's web site is located at http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/journals/IJURR
Citation
International Journal Of Urban And Regional Research, 2005, v. 29 n. 4, p. 849-866 How to Cite?
AbstractTo what extent has the internet strengthened civil society? In which ways have civil society organizations (CSOs) used the internet to communicate their missions, enhance the discussion of public issues, extend networks and mobilize collective actions? This article seeks to answer these and related questions by reporting on an empirical study in Hong Kong. The study involves an analysis of the web pages launched by 14 environmental groups and 22 labour organizations on the one hand, and in-depth interviews with representatives of five of these organizations on the other. Due to the lack of resources and low level of e-readiness among most CSOs, as well as the prevalence of a parochial outlook among most labour organizations, the new technology has only found limited application in Hong Kong. At the same time, due to a top-down management orientation, the leaders of these CSOs have been more inclined to use the technology to communicate with each other than to build networks with rank-and-file members and supporters. Nonetheless, the findings of this study suggest that the technology has much potential for pluralizing public discourse, involving more people in rational-critical discussion of key public issues, as well as enhancing the capacity of existing CSOs to develop a sense of community and get mobilized. The technology also facilitates the emergence of novel types of collective action and as such taps into resources that are otherwise unavailable. In addition, the new technology makes it possible for individual activists to seek each other out, further cultivate their sense of community and launch collective actions on issues ignored by existing CSOs. Finally, it is through the synergy of online/offline discourses and activities that the internet exerts much of its positive impact on the expansion of civil society. © 2005 The Authors. Journal Compilation © 2005 Joint Editors and Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
Persistent Identifierhttp://hdl.handle.net/10722/81400
ISSN
2023 Impact Factor: 2.7
2023 SCImago Journal Rankings: 1.636
ISI Accession Number ID
References

 

DC FieldValueLanguage
dc.contributor.authorChu, YWen_HK
dc.contributor.authorTang, JTHen_HK
dc.date.accessioned2010-09-06T08:17:16Z-
dc.date.available2010-09-06T08:17:16Z-
dc.date.issued2005en_HK
dc.identifier.citationInternational Journal Of Urban And Regional Research, 2005, v. 29 n. 4, p. 849-866en_HK
dc.identifier.issn0309-1317en_HK
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10722/81400-
dc.description.abstractTo what extent has the internet strengthened civil society? In which ways have civil society organizations (CSOs) used the internet to communicate their missions, enhance the discussion of public issues, extend networks and mobilize collective actions? This article seeks to answer these and related questions by reporting on an empirical study in Hong Kong. The study involves an analysis of the web pages launched by 14 environmental groups and 22 labour organizations on the one hand, and in-depth interviews with representatives of five of these organizations on the other. Due to the lack of resources and low level of e-readiness among most CSOs, as well as the prevalence of a parochial outlook among most labour organizations, the new technology has only found limited application in Hong Kong. At the same time, due to a top-down management orientation, the leaders of these CSOs have been more inclined to use the technology to communicate with each other than to build networks with rank-and-file members and supporters. Nonetheless, the findings of this study suggest that the technology has much potential for pluralizing public discourse, involving more people in rational-critical discussion of key public issues, as well as enhancing the capacity of existing CSOs to develop a sense of community and get mobilized. The technology also facilitates the emergence of novel types of collective action and as such taps into resources that are otherwise unavailable. In addition, the new technology makes it possible for individual activists to seek each other out, further cultivate their sense of community and launch collective actions on issues ignored by existing CSOs. Finally, it is through the synergy of online/offline discourses and activities that the internet exerts much of its positive impact on the expansion of civil society. © 2005 The Authors. Journal Compilation © 2005 Joint Editors and Blackwell Publishing Ltd.en_HK
dc.languageengen_HK
dc.publisherBlackwell Publishing Ltd. The Journal's web site is located at http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/journals/IJURRen_HK
dc.relation.ispartofInternational Journal of Urban and Regional Researchen_HK
dc.rightsInternational Journal of Urban and Regional Research. Copyright © Blackwell Publishing Ltd.en_HK
dc.titleThe internet and civil society: Environmental and labour organizations in Hong Kongen_HK
dc.typeArticleen_HK
dc.identifier.openurlhttp://library.hku.hk:4550/resserv?sid=HKU:IR&issn=0309-1317&volume=29&issue=4&spage=849&epage=866&date=2005&atitle=The+Internet+and+Civil+Society:+Environmental+and+Labor+Organizations+in+Hong+Kongen_HK
dc.identifier.emailTang, JTH: jthtang@hku.hken_HK
dc.identifier.authorityTang, JTH=rp00595en_HK
dc.description.naturelink_to_subscribed_fulltext-
dc.identifier.doi10.1111/j.1468-2427.2005.00625.xen_HK
dc.identifier.scopuseid_2-s2.0-33747150804en_HK
dc.identifier.hkuros124298en_HK
dc.relation.referenceshttp://www.scopus.com/mlt/select.url?eid=2-s2.0-33747150804&selection=ref&src=s&origin=recordpageen_HK
dc.identifier.volume29en_HK
dc.identifier.issue4en_HK
dc.identifier.spage849en_HK
dc.identifier.epage866en_HK
dc.identifier.isiWOS:000234706600007-
dc.publisher.placeUnited Kingdomen_HK
dc.identifier.scopusauthoridChu, YW=7403051046en_HK
dc.identifier.scopusauthoridTang, JTH=14065514300en_HK
dc.identifier.issnl0309-1317-

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