Dr. Stephen Ortmann, a SEARC core member, has an article in the latest Taiwan Journal of Democracy.
Taiwan Journal of Democracy, Volume 10, No. 1: 123-145
Democratization and the Discourse on Stability in Hong Kong and Singapore
Stephan Ortmann
Abstract
Democrats in both Hong Kong and Singapore face a discourse on stability that is hostile to liberal democracy, but only activists in Hong Kong have successfully reframed this discourse to motivate potential supporters to actively push for democratization. The difference between the situations in Hong Kong and Singapore can be explained by the concept of collective action frames, which demonstrates that it is not sufficient to associate stability with democracy, for supporters also need to establish a motive for activism. The study shows that the success of reframing rests with the saliency of the notion that authoritarianism is a problem for stability, in part influenced by the degree of access to the media.
Keywords: Discourse on stability, opposition, Hong Kong, Singapore, collective action frames.
