Civic Visuals on Instagram : A subtle form of civic engagement in Hong Kong
(2026) In Lund Studies in Media and Communication- Abstract
- This thesis challenges the assumption that expressions that do not actively seek attention is less significant in the research of civic engagement, by foregrounding the arts of subtle resistance in contexts of social movement abeyance, heightened media censorship and digital surveillance. Drawing upon the empirical case of Hong Kong, where a National Security Law was enacted in 2020 to discourage expressions of dissident voices, this thesis examines the evolvement of pro-democracy visual protest culture in recent years and explores the social significances of engagement surrounding this evolving form of visual civic talk on Instagram. By introducing the concept of civic visuals—artwork (primarily digital) that are characterised by their... (More)
- This thesis challenges the assumption that expressions that do not actively seek attention is less significant in the research of civic engagement, by foregrounding the arts of subtle resistance in contexts of social movement abeyance, heightened media censorship and digital surveillance. Drawing upon the empirical case of Hong Kong, where a National Security Law was enacted in 2020 to discourage expressions of dissident voices, this thesis examines the evolvement of pro-democracy visual protest culture in recent years and explores the social significances of engagement surrounding this evolving form of visual civic talk on Instagram. By introducing the concept of civic visuals—artwork (primarily digital) that are characterised by their ambiguity, cultural nuance, playfulness, and emotional resonance rather than overt political expressions—this thesis explores how political discussions and remembrance of social movements can be sustained by—and help sustain—civic cultures. Drawing on Dahlgren’s (2003; 2005; 2009) framework of civic cultures and Dewey’s (1934) aesthetic theories, this thesis approaches civic visuals as meaningful expressions that are cultivated and sustained in the everyday life.
Using a visually-driven multimethod approach, this qualitative study investigates the engagement and meanings of civic visuals and their appropriated symbols with an aim to underline their subtlety and aesthetics nuances. On the one hand, the ambiguity embedded in civic visuals suggests that these expressions seek little attention from the wider audience. On the other hand, it highlights the exclusiveness of the engagement, in which only informed and like-minded individuals within the communities are likely to participate. This thesis argues that the power of civic visuals lies not only in confrontation, but in their capacity to navigate repression creatively and unobtrusively. The findings indicate how ordinary aesthetics, personal memories, collective nostalgia, humour, and play are key to invite and sustain discussions of contentious topics and remembrance of silenced voices within online civic communities in times of uncertainty and precarity. Through contextualising and conceptualising civic visuals, this thesis contributes to the scholarly discussions on latent form of civic engagement by shifting empirical focus from direct and explicit expressions of contention and dissent, to those that appear to be ambiguous and seemingly mundane. (Less) - Abstract (Swedish)
- Denna avhandling undersöker hur subtila former av medborgerligt motstånd tar form i Hongkongs pågående autokratisering. I en kontext präglad av vilande sociala rörelser, ökande mediecensur och digital övervakning visar studien att uttryck som inte aktivt söker uppmärksamhet ändå kan spela en viktig roll i medborgerligt engagemang.
Med utgångspunkt i Hongkong efter införandet av den nationella säkerhetslagen 2020 analyserar avhandlingen hur en prodemokratisk visuell protestkultur har utvecklats och hur engagemang kring sådana visuella uttryck fortlever på Instagram. Genom att introducera begreppet civic visuals – digitala konstverk som kännetecknas av mångtydighet, kulturell nyans, lekfullhet och emotionell resonans snarare än... (More) - Denna avhandling undersöker hur subtila former av medborgerligt motstånd tar form i Hongkongs pågående autokratisering. I en kontext präglad av vilande sociala rörelser, ökande mediecensur och digital övervakning visar studien att uttryck som inte aktivt söker uppmärksamhet ändå kan spela en viktig roll i medborgerligt engagemang.
Med utgångspunkt i Hongkong efter införandet av den nationella säkerhetslagen 2020 analyserar avhandlingen hur en prodemokratisk visuell protestkultur har utvecklats och hur engagemang kring sådana visuella uttryck fortlever på Instagram. Genom att introducera begreppet civic visuals – digitala konstverk som kännetecknas av mångtydighet, kulturell nyans, lekfullhet och emotionell resonans snarare än öppet politiska budskap – visar studien hur visuella samtal kan upprätthålla politiska och kulturellt präglade minnen under repression.
I dialog med Dahlgrens (2003; 2005; 2009) ramverk för medborgerliga kulturer och Deweys (1934) estetiska teorier behandlas dessa visuella uttryck som meningsskapande inslag i vardagen. Genom en visuellt driven kvalitativ metod studeras hur personer engagerar sig i civic visuals och approprierade symboler för att förstå bildernas subtilitet och estetiska dimensioner. Mångtydigheten gör att uttrycken ofta undviker bred offentlig exponering, men samtidigt skapar de en form av exklusivitet där tolkning och delning främst sker bland informerade och likasinnade individer.
Avhandlingen argumenterar för att kraften i dessa uttryck ligger i deras förmåga att navigera autokratisering kreativt och diskret, snarare än i öppen konfrontation. Resultaten visar hur vardaglig estetik, personliga minnen, kollektiv nostalgi, humor och lekfullhet möjliggör samtal om kontroversiella ämnen och tystade röster i tider av politisk osäkerhet. Genom att konceptualisera dessa visuella praktiker bidrar avhandlingen till forskningen om latenta former av samhällsengagemang och förskjuter fokus från explicita politiska uttryck till vardagliga, visuella och till synes oskyldiga former som ändå bär motståndets potential.
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Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/b19602e2-acb6-44a0-89cf-563820c06d2a
- author
- Fung, Cheryl LU
- supervisor
- opponent
-
- Professor Lee, Francis, The Chinese University
- organization
- publishing date
- 2026-02
- type
- Thesis
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Media, civic cultures, civic engagement, civic talk, visual methods, aesthetics, nostalgia, play, social movements, social media, Instagram, Hong Kong
- in
- Lund Studies in Media and Communication
- issue
- 33
- pages
- 230 pages
- publisher
- Institutionen för kommunikation, Lunds universitet
- defense location
- i Sh 128, G:a Köket, Allhelgona Kyrkogata 8, Lund
- defense date
- 2026-03-20 10:00:00
- ISSN
- 1104-4330
- ISBN
- 978-91-8104-697-7
- 978-91-8104-698-4
- project
- Civic Visuals on Instagram: A subtle form of civic engagement in Hong Kong
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- b19602e2-acb6-44a0-89cf-563820c06d2a
- date added to LUP
- 2026-02-12 11:12:01
- date last changed
- 2026-02-18 07:55:33
@phdthesis{b19602e2-acb6-44a0-89cf-563820c06d2a,
abstract = {{This thesis challenges the assumption that expressions that do not actively seek attention is less significant in the research of civic engagement, by foregrounding the arts of subtle resistance in contexts of social movement abeyance, heightened media censorship and digital surveillance. Drawing upon the empirical case of Hong Kong, where a National Security Law was enacted in 2020 to discourage expressions of dissident voices, this thesis examines the evolvement of pro-democracy visual protest culture in recent years and explores the social significances of engagement surrounding this evolving form of visual civic talk on Instagram. By introducing the concept of civic visuals—artwork (primarily digital) that are characterised by their ambiguity, cultural nuance, playfulness, and emotional resonance rather than overt political expressions—this thesis explores how political discussions and remembrance of social movements can be sustained by—and help sustain—civic cultures. Drawing on Dahlgren’s (2003; 2005; 2009) framework of civic cultures and Dewey’s (1934) aesthetic theories, this thesis approaches civic visuals as meaningful expressions that are cultivated and sustained in the everyday life. <br/>Using a visually-driven multimethod approach, this qualitative study investigates the engagement and meanings of civic visuals and their appropriated symbols with an aim to underline their subtlety and aesthetics nuances. On the one hand, the ambiguity embedded in civic visuals suggests that these expressions seek little attention from the wider audience. On the other hand, it highlights the exclusiveness of the engagement, in which only informed and like-minded individuals within the communities are likely to participate. This thesis argues that the power of civic visuals lies not only in confrontation, but in their capacity to navigate repression creatively and unobtrusively. The findings indicate how ordinary aesthetics, personal memories, collective nostalgia, humour, and play are key to invite and sustain discussions of contentious topics and remembrance of silenced voices within online civic communities in times of uncertainty and precarity. Through contextualising and conceptualising civic visuals, this thesis contributes to the scholarly discussions on latent form of civic engagement by shifting empirical focus from direct and explicit expressions of contention and dissent, to those that appear to be ambiguous and seemingly mundane.}},
author = {{Fung, Cheryl}},
isbn = {{978-91-8104-697-7}},
issn = {{1104-4330}},
keywords = {{Media; civic cultures; civic engagement; civic talk; visual methods; aesthetics; nostalgia; play; social movements; social media; Instagram; Hong Kong}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{33}},
publisher = {{Institutionen för kommunikation, Lunds universitet}},
school = {{Lund University}},
series = {{Lund Studies in Media and Communication}},
title = {{Civic Visuals on Instagram : A subtle form of civic engagement in Hong Kong}},
url = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/242560966/Civic_Visuals_on_Instagram.pdf}},
year = {{2026}},
}