Identity Construction and De-construction In Marginalized Chinese Online Communities.
- Hoang Viet Nguyen
- Apr 12, 2024
- 1 min read
The Chinese marginalized youth find power and stability by being tied together in a joined group and finding common friendship like going to the same college, to build and identity based on shared memories. According to Zhang (2016), these individuals de-construct their online identities by posting about their hobbies and things they like in general. Whether it’d be music, food they like, or even philosophical ideologies. Their identities can be then recognized by peers by being affirmed with thumbs ups, hearts and roses.
wechat-5-1 by Sinchen.Lin CC BY 2.0 DEED
However, some socially marginalized groups China may face an opposite effect online. For example, those who have de-constructed their identity by emphasizing their children’s success in attending elite colleges in China indirectly silent those with children who go to less preferred colleges. Being present in a circle that was built upon those that are considered socially elite, these marginalized groups can only stay silent. Zhang (2016) highlights that if the circumstances or ideologies of one does not match the preferred norm, or they have not had privileged experiences, they might not be able to feel connected and join the big conversation.
Reference:
Zhang, M (2016) A rhetorical analysis of Chinese WeChat messages among midlife adults. China Media Research, vol. 12, no. 3, pp. 12.
Comments