Abstract as per original application (English/Chinese): |
Representation is a key concept to cultural studies. Who can be on TV? Do they represent diversity or stereotypes? Why? What will be the consequences? These are questions of aesthetics and politics. This study aims to write a critical history of representation of Chinese mainlanders in Hong Kong TV dramas (HDs, hereafter). From the lazy and imprisoned Ah Chian(阿燦, 《網中人》1979), to the well-educated and conniving Tian Mi (田蜜, 《不懂撒嬌的女人》2017), mainlander images have become more and more complicated, contingent, and contradictory. This representation has a symbolic power that has contributed to the public imaginations and to practices of Mainland-Hong Kong relations, as well as the Hong Kong identity.
Ma (1999) and Gunn (2006) have found a dualism in several pre-1997 HDs: barbarian/civilized, other/us, mainlander/HongKonger, which contributes to constructing a Hong Kong identity. They are illuminating because this dualism continues to appear in post-1997 HDs; but they have not criticized the dark side of it: discrimination and symbolic violence. Therefore, this study will try to fill this research gap by critically surveying representations of mainlanders from the 1960s to the present and situate such representations in the context of Hong Kong history.
Scholars have produced historical monographs for TV drama in US (Stempel, 1996), UK (Cooke, 2003), Canada (Miller, 1987), and PRC (Zhong and Chen, 2010), etc; but there are only a few, if any, scholarly books focusing on the history of HD. The PI’s discipline is cultural studies, and the Co-I is a historian of Hong Kong. Together, we will collaborate on a media history research. Due to time constraints, this book will not offer a comprehensive history of HD; instead, we will produce a critical history of mainlander representation in HD.
In particular, we will re-theorize the concepts of representation, stereotyping and racism, and focus primarily on ten selected HDs. Our methodology is systematic, consisting of archival studies of historical reports in newspapers, textual analysis, industry interviews, local and nonlocal audience interviews. Beyond academia, teachers and students of Liberal Studies, Chinese History and History in secondary schools, industry workers interviewed by us and their colleagues, citizens, netizens, especially those in Hong Kong and mainland China, may find this project useful. Since ours is a critical study, we do not aim to serve the culture industry and related government sectors.
研究摘要
媒體再現是文化研究的核心議題之一。誰可以出現在電視上?他們的形象是多元的,抑或是定型的?為什麼?後果如何?這些是審美和政治的問題。本研究計劃書寫一部香港電視劇(下稱港劇)再現的內地人形象的歷史。從懶惰的囚犯阿燦(《網中人》1979),到高學歷的狡猾女人田蜜(《不懂撒嬌的女人》2017),內地人形象變得越來越複雜、多變和矛盾。這種再現具有符號權力,既可以幫助人們想象陸港關係,也定義著香港身分的內容。
馬傑偉(1999)和Gunn(2006)發現了前九七港劇中的一個二元論:野蠻/文明,他們/我們,內地人/香港人,這幫助建構了香港身分。此二元論意義重大,因為它持續出現在後九七港劇中。但是,他們沒有批評此二元論的陰暗面:歧視和符號暴力。有見及此,本研究立志於在這方面作出貢獻:批判性地檢視從上世紀六十年代到現止的港劇中的內地人形象,並將其置於香港歷史的語境之中。
學界已出版了很多電視劇史書,如美劇史 (Stempel, 1996), 英劇史 (Cooke, 2003),加拿大劇史 (Miller, 1987),和內地劇史 (仲呈祥和陳軍,2010) 等,但並沒有專注於港劇史的學術著作。本研究之主調查員受訓於文化研究,副調查員是香港史學者,我們力圖聯手書寫一部港劇史。 由於時間的限制,這本書不是港劇的完全歷史,而是對其再現的內地人的歷史的批判性檢視。
具體地說,我們將會再理論化再現、定型和種族歧視等關鍵概念,集中挑選十部代表性港劇。我們的方法論較為系統化,包括對報紙報道的檔案研究,文本分析,文化工業從業者的訪談,以及對本地和非本地觀眾的採訪。學界之外,中學通識、中史和歷史課的師生,本研究採訪的從業者及其同事們,公民,網民,特別是那些在香港和內地之人會從本研究中得益。因為這是一個批判性研究,所以我們不打算服務於文化工業和相關的政府部門。
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