Just doing their job: The hidden meteorologists of colonial Hong Kong c.1883–1914
This article investigates the contribution made by indigenous employees to the work of the Hong Kong Observatory from its inception and into the early twentieth century. As has so often been the case in Western histories of science, the significance of indigenous workers and of women in the Hong Kon...
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sg-smu-ink.soss_research-46892022-05-18T08:21:07Z Just doing their job: The hidden meteorologists of colonial Hong Kong c.1883–1914 WILLIAMSON, Fiona This article investigates the contribution made by indigenous employees to the work of the Hong Kong Observatory from its inception and into the early twentieth century. As has so often been the case in Western histories of science, the significance of indigenous workers and of women in the Hong Kong Observatory has been obscured by the stories of the government officials and observatory director(s). Yet without the employees, the service could not have functioned or grown. While the glimpses of their work and lives are fleeting, often only revealed in minor archival references, this article seeks to interrogate these sources to make these workers’ lives visible and to offer an examination of everyday working relationships at this place and point in time. It focuses on three areas. First, an exploration of who these workers were, and the role they played at the observatory. Second, an investigation of their contribution to the nascent science of meteorology. Third, an examination of available evidence – levels of high staff turnover, complaints, instances of foot dragging, or working to rule, as well as the tenacity to continue for years under difficult working conditions – to demonstrate the ability of workers to reject or to negotiate with colonial/patriarchal authority. In profiling their stories, this article will add to the literature examining the lives of scientific workers and their contributions to science, the everyday cultural and social contexts of colonial meteorology, and the role of ordinary men and women in producing meteorological knowledge at this time. 2021-09-01T07:00:00Z text application/pdf https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/soss_research/3432 info:doi/10.1017/S0007087421000182 https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/context/soss_research/article/4689/viewcontent/just_doing_their_job_the_hidden_meteorologists_of_colonial_hong_kong_c18831914.pdf http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ Research Collection School of Social Sciences eng Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University History of science climate meteorology Hong Kong colonial Asian Studies Geography Race, Ethnicity and Post-Colonial Studies |
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History of science climate meteorology Hong Kong colonial Asian Studies Geography Race, Ethnicity and Post-Colonial Studies WILLIAMSON, Fiona Just doing their job: The hidden meteorologists of colonial Hong Kong c.1883–1914 |
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This article investigates the contribution made by indigenous employees to the work of the Hong Kong Observatory from its inception and into the early twentieth century. As has so often been the case in Western histories of science, the significance of indigenous workers and of women in the Hong Kong Observatory has been obscured by the stories of the government officials and observatory director(s). Yet without the employees, the service could not have functioned or grown. While the glimpses of their work and lives are fleeting, often only revealed in minor archival references, this article seeks to interrogate these sources to make these workers’ lives visible and to offer an examination of everyday working relationships at this place and point in time. It focuses on three areas. First, an exploration of who these workers were, and the role they played at the observatory. Second, an investigation of their contribution to the nascent science of meteorology. Third, an examination of available evidence – levels of high staff turnover, complaints, instances of foot dragging, or working to rule, as well as the tenacity to continue for years under difficult working conditions – to demonstrate the ability of workers to reject or to negotiate with colonial/patriarchal authority. In profiling their stories, this article will add to the literature examining the lives of scientific workers and their contributions to science, the everyday cultural and social contexts of colonial meteorology, and the role of ordinary men and women in producing meteorological knowledge at this time. |
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WILLIAMSON, Fiona |
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WILLIAMSON, Fiona |
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WILLIAMSON, Fiona |
title |
Just doing their job: The hidden meteorologists of colonial Hong Kong c.1883–1914 |
title_short |
Just doing their job: The hidden meteorologists of colonial Hong Kong c.1883–1914 |
title_full |
Just doing their job: The hidden meteorologists of colonial Hong Kong c.1883–1914 |
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Just doing their job: The hidden meteorologists of colonial Hong Kong c.1883–1914 |
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Just doing their job: The hidden meteorologists of colonial Hong Kong c.1883–1914 |
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just doing their job: the hidden meteorologists of colonial hong kong c.1883–1914 |
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Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University |
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2021 |
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https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/soss_research/3432 https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/context/soss_research/article/4689/viewcontent/just_doing_their_job_the_hidden_meteorologists_of_colonial_hong_kong_c18831914.pdf |
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