Amplifying critical syncretism in Asia as method : understanding policy enactments in a Hong Kong school through Mohap

Asia as method, in decolonial thinking, endorses the value of local knowledge while concurrently recognising colonial and global knowledges' ongoing influence and potential value in knowledge production. Yet, how to apply Asia as method and articulate the diverse traditions of knowledge(s) is underexplored. To address this gap, we consider Asia as method's critical syncretism is the means to show the interplay between different knowledges. Critical syncretism demands challenging and rebuilding perspectives and representations and multiplying frames of reference, and building connections across diverse knowledges. To illustrate the strategy, we consider policy enactments in a Hong Kong secondary school, using the Cantonese term – mohap (wearing in) as a lens. We identified two elements in actors' mohap: Harmony and agency, and articulated the two elements of mohap through critical syncretism. This paper pushes the boundaries of Asia as method by empirically applying its framework to a policy case in Hong Kong schooling and applies critical syncretism as an analytical tool in grasping the nuances of policy enactments. It thus contributes to the nascent field of educational policy enactments in the Global South with a localised perspective and offers a 'how' for Asia as method.