From Cyber-Nationalism to Fandom Nationalism: The Case of Diba Expedition In China

Description

This book gives a deep description of a new trend in Chinese cyber-nationalism through an examination of Diba Expedition 2016. The eight chapters, written by researchers from the United States and China, touch on the topics of history, mobilization, and the organization of new cyber nationalism; the evolution of symbolic devices; and the impact of information and communications technologies (ICTs), consumerism, fans culture, and Internet subcultures on cyber-nationalism and the political consequences of it. The authors have embedded the Diba Expedition and new cyber-nationalism, which may be called fandom nationalism, in the media ecology of social media, the mobile Internet, the smartphone, and a new generation of ICTs. They also try to explain the change in the Chinese political culture from the turn of the twenty-first century up to now under the impact of official nationalistic education, commercial culture, and the grassroots Internet culture. Readers interested in political culture, Internet culture, and youth culture will find this book helpful in understanding why traditional nationalism, with hatred, anger, and actions in the real world, has evolved into fandom nationalism, with love, satire, and actions in the virtual world, as illustrated in the Diba Expedition. Cover Half Title Series Information Title Page Copyright Page Table of contents Figures and tables List of Contributors 1 Performing cyber-nationalism in twenty-first-century China: The case of Diba Expedition Self-performance Disenchantment and re-enchantment The style of performance Cultural skills and cyber-nationalism The political opportunities of cyber-nationalism Discourses of empire References 2 Understanding Chinese nationalism: A historical perspective Introduction Historicizing nationalism in China Rising nationalism in reform-era China Consumer nationalism Contentious identity issue in Taiwan Online nationalism and Diba Expedition Conclusion Notes References Chinese references 3 From Fans to “Little Pink”: The production and mobilization mechanism of national identity... Introduction Methods and research questions The rehistoricization of Chinese Internet nationalism Internet-driven people’s nationalism: The first wave (1998–2005) Patriots as “informed public” and “game players”: The second wave (2008–2010) The fan-led expedition: Third wave of internet nationalism Concluding discussion: How did new media commercial subjects become politicized? Notes References 4 “We are all Diba members tonight”: Cyber-nationalism as emotional and playful actions online Introduction Literature review The evolution of cyber-nationalism The agents of cyber-nationalism Research method Research results The time pattern of “Diba Expedition” Positive emotional comments Game-like strategy of the expedition Contextual structure behind “Diba Expedition” Structure of feelings and feeling structuralization Acknowledgments References 5 Memetic communication and consensus mobilization in the cyber nationalist movement Introduction Literature review and research methods Meme: A new type of political participation and mobilization Cyber-nationalism and consensus movement: Strategies and consequences Case selection and research methods The production and metaphor of memes and the formation of consensus in “Diba Expedition” The form, content, and structure elements of memes The type and metaphor of meme Process of organized production and resource mobilization of memes The formation of strategy adjustment and persuasive communication in “Diba Expedition” Countermemes and image macros with watermark The formation of strong memes Classification and “communication-oriented memes” Conclusion and reflection Notes References 6 Collective action as interaction ritual in cyberspace Introduction Theoretical framework and concept definition Identity consciousness of collective action Self-identity consciousness First, the identity of online expeditioners of the online community Diba Second, the national identity consciousness Social identity establishment First is the post-’90s generation. Second is the patriotic youth Dynamic mechanism of collective behaviors Group assembly in cyberspace and emergence of collective effervescence Production of symbolic solidity of crowds Exchange of emotional energy and moral imagination Discourse logic of the collective action Conquering, lecturing, and communicating: Three major discourse patterns Repetitive discourse strategy Metaphors of “Wall”: Discourse paradox of the Expedition Conclusion References 7 Contested visual activism: Cyber-nationalism in China from a visual communication perspective Introduction Literature review Cyber-nationalism from the perspective of multiple contesting subjects The visual imagination of nationalism Methodology Traditional model of visual nationalism: Image-driven nationalism A new model of visual nationalism: Contested visual activism among multiple subjects Pluralism in image-contesting narrative subjects Multiple public subjects Multiple authority subjects Pluralism in the image-contesting narrative strategies Negotiation Incorporation Appropriation Resistance Conclusion Notes References 8 Love your nation the way you love an idol: New media and the emergence of fandom nationalism Introduction Communication technologies and nationalism Nationalism and cyber-nationalism Communication technologies and nationalism New media and nationalistic expression New media and the formation of Diba’s style of expression Floating ambiguity and gameplay Mobilization, organization, and implementation through new media New media and the emergence of fandom nationalism Disappearing boundary and domestication The emergence of fandom nationalism Discussion: The rebellious obedience References Index