Social media and the transformation of ‘Chinese nationalism’: ‘Igniting positive energy’ in China since the 2012 London Olympics (Respond to this article at http://www.therai.org.uk/at/debate) |
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| Authors: | Shanshan Du |
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| Institution: | The author is associate professor of anthropology at Tulane University. She authored Chopsticks only work in pairs: Gender unity and gender equality among the Lahu of southwest China (Columbia University Press, 2002) and co‐edited Negotiating women's roles and power: The practice of world religions in contemporary Asia (a special issue of Religion, 2007), and Gender in contemporary Chinese societies: Beyond Han patriarchy (Lexington Books/Rowman & Littlefield, 2012). |
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| Abstract: | During the 2012 London Olympics, a spontaneous movement to ‘ignite positive energy’ emerged in Chinese social media from the massive and fervent support for the Chinese grassroots torch bearers. This grassroots‐oriented movement has generated a ‘transcendental Chinese patriotism’, in which patriotism is intertwined with individualism, transnationalism, and universalism. The ideal and sentiment of this hybrid Chinese patriotism forms a stark contrast to the mainstream ‘Chinese nationalism’, which has been characterized by scholars as various forms of reactive collectivism derived from state authority, Confucian tradition, and the wounded memories of China's recent history. This online movement has also demonstrated an impressive efficacy in shaping the socio‐political landscape of China beyond transforming Chinese nationalism. |
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