Participation in social movement and emigration intention: A study of Hong Kong social movement in 2019

Abstract

This paper explores the relationship between participation in social movement and the intention to emigrate. Drawing from data collected between January and March 2021, after the 2019 social movement in Hong Kong had subsided, we identified two important findings related to participation in the social movement and the intention to emigrate. First, we identified five key domains of governance in which the level of dissatisfaction is related to emigration intention: economic opportunities, human rights protection, the living and natural environment, cultural continuity, and stability of institutions. Second, we found that the level of participation in the social movement is not always significantly related to the level of dissatisfaction with the five identified policy domains. At the same time, the level of participation in the social movement is related significantly and directly to emigration intention. Implications of the findings are discussed.