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The cohort effect of political change on language speaking: Evidence from Hong Kong
Author(s) -
Zheng Xian,
Zhou Yonghong
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
economics of transition and institutional change
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2577-6983
pISSN - 2577-6975
DOI - 10.1111/ecot.12286
Subject(s) - mandarin chinese , politics , cohort , cohort effect , sovereignty , demography , identity (music) , demographic economics , population , political science , psychology , geography , gender studies , sociology , linguistics , medicine , economics , philosophy , physics , acoustics , law
It has been proven that language is a symbol of culture and politics. This study investigates the cohort effect of Hong Kong's handover on the language spoken in adulthood based on the 2006 and 2011 Hong Kong population censuses. We find that Mandarin is more likely to be used by Hong Kong natives who were exposed to the transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong in 1997 during their school‐age years, especially the generation that were exposed during their primary‐school years. This cohort insisted on speaking Mandarin, even when the political environment changed from 2006 to 2011. Our evidence reveals that the political change that occurs during one's school‐age years has a long‐term impact on an individual's behaviour in adulthood. Further discussion indicates that exposure to political change such as regime transfer during school‐age years impacts an individual's national identity.