From Safety Space to Embattled Home: Family Dynamics in the Wake of Hong Kong’s Summer of Dissent

This study delves into the role of the home as a site of intergenerational conflict within the context of the Anti-Extradition Law Amendment Bill (Anti-ELAB) movement in Hong Kong. In particular, tension emerged between pro-government parents and their pro-democracy children before, during, and after the events. Typically, the home is a private, apolitical space. However, in Hong Kong, it became a micro-physical sphere contributing to familial discord during the 2019 Anti-ELAB movement. This study used a triangulated approach to collect data from 63 in-depth interviews, two reflective focus groups, and participant observation to unravel the complex dynamics between activists and their parents. This article argues that family, social movement, and intergenerational conflict identify the multifaceted nature of the home, as both a geographical space and a symbol of resistance, mobility, and inequality. This article serves as a platform where broader socio-political and economic relations are negotiated and contested. The interplay of power dynamics within the home and spatial considerations is highlighted as parents leverage this space to exert control over their children. This research enhances the sociology of family, politics, and social movements by illuminating the extension of intergenerational conflict from public arenas into the familial home. © 2025 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC