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The Pathway Toward Radical Political Participation Among Young People in Hong Kong: A Communication Mediation Approach

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Abstract

Radical political activities can harm social stability and economic performance. With a three-wave dataset for a sample of young people in Hong Kong, this study evaluated a cross-lagged model to evaluate the development of radical political participation. The results showed that social media use significantly increased the online political communication of the young people and that this significantly promoted their radical political participation. This was mediated by a significant increase in the heterogeneity of their social media network. These findings contribute to the further development of communication mediation theory in the field of political behaviors. They provide an in-depth understanding of the development of radical political behavior among young people and offer practical suggestions for policy makers and educators who are striving to reduce mass radical political engagement.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank all participants for their cooperation and contribution.

Funding

This study was funded by grants from the Public Policy Research Funding Scheme, Hong Kong SAR (Project Number 2014.A5.006.15A).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Graduate Studies, Lingnan University, Tuen Mun, Hong Kong SAR PRC

    Alex Yue Feng Zhu

  2. Department of Asian and Policy Studies, The Education University of Hong Kong, Tai Po, Hong Kong SAR PRC

    Alex Lih Shing Chan & Kee Lee Chou

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  1. Alex Yue Feng Zhu
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Zhu, A.Y.F., Chan, A.L.S. & Chou, K.L. The Pathway Toward Radical Political Participation Among Young People in Hong Kong: A Communication Mediation Approach. East Asia 37, 45–62 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12140-019-09326-6

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