From Homeland-Mother to Azhong-Brother: a qualitative study of nation anthropomorphism among Chinese youths

Abstract

Nation anthropomorphism refers to the symbol and the symbolization process in which human-like characteristics are metaphorically attributed to a nation. In China, the Homeland-Mother ( zuguomuqin) is a widely accepted anthropomorphic image representing the nation. However, a brotherly national image named Azhong-Brother ( azhonggege) derived from subcultures was created and went viral on social media platforms with fierce controversy since 2019. Based on 23 in-depth interviews with China’s young netizens of wide variations, this study explored the differences between these two symbols, Chinese youths’ identification with the nation through the symbols, and their identity negotiation amid the controversy surrounding the image of Azhong-Brother. We discussed the symbolic contestation between traditional hegemonic and emergent soft masculinities within Azhong-Brother, the instrumental and sentimental national attachment associated with Homeland-Mother and Azhong-Brother, and the conflicts arising from the negotiation of multiple identities in relation to Azhong-Brother.

Civic Engagement Intention and the Data-Driven Fan Community: Investigating the Motivation Behind Chinese Fans’ Online Data-Making Behavior From a Collective Action Perspective

“…Zhang, 2016) believe fans’ participation in star-making resembles civic participation in societies with a strict civic environment, but this study implied the possibility that the civic engagement intention might be dissolved by fans’ collective data-making behaviors. Fans’ collective actions on digital platforms remain heavily manipulated by capitalistic power (Sugihartati, 2017), and more importantly, the actions, while giving the young people a sense of quasi-civic participation, may eventually lead to nonpolitical or nationalism ends because the actions are restricted and guided by ideological and national demands (Dong et al, 2022; Fang & Repnikova, 2018; X. Liao et al, 2022; C.…”

“…Regarding the content, the association between fandom and political/civic actions enabled by social media has been increasingly noticeable (e.g., L. Bennett, 2012Bennett, , 2014Click et al, 2017;Park et al, 2021). As the state is employing a fandom approach to promote patriotism (Dong et al, 2022;Peng et al, 2022), many fan actions are directed toward pro-state civic engagement purposes, such as donating money to disaster areas and making patriotic remarks with celebrities on National Day, and so on, to gain social recognition (X. Liu, 2018).…”