CCR Team Presented a Panel in IAMCR's Stockholm Conference
The globalization team of the Center for Communication Research presented a panel, "Media role in the local-national-global nexus: comparing Chinese societies," at the annual conference of the International Association for Media Communication Research, held in Stockholm, Sweden from 20 to 25 July 2008. This is a part of continuing analysis of a large-scale survey study conducted in the four mainland cities (Beijing, Shanghai, Xian and Chengdu) and Hong Kong to explore the role of the media in constructing local, national, and global realities. We define "globalization" in terms of its political, economic, cultural, and environmental dimensions. The perceived impact of globalization can be gauged at the individual, city, national, and world levels. The random samples from five cities represent different social systems as well as different level of economic development and global contact, thus offering many possibilities for doing various levels of comparison. This panel aimed first to present comparative analysis of media role in influencing citizens' attitudes toward globalization. We compared "globlists" versus "locals" among audiences, and profiled the characteristics of "global discontents". Further, we analyzed how the media mediate the way nationalist sentiments affect the way of seeing the United States as an "ambivalent other." Finally, we extrapolated from the dataset to construct an index of glocality, which will illuminate the current global-local debate. The abstracts of the papers are as follows:
Citizens' Attitudes towards Globalization: A Survey Study of Media Influence
Francis L. F. Lee This article examines media effects on Mainland Chinese and Hong Kong people's attitudes towards globalization. In the case of China, it is argued that the Chinese national media largely reflect the official view on globalization, which is largely positive in tone, focuses more on its benefits than its dangers, and sees engaging with globalization as a means to realize the century-old dream of Chinese modernization. It is also argued that these views should largely resonate with the existing views of the Chinese audience, and this should provide the condition for the media to successfully influence/reinforce people's attitudes. The Hong Kong media, however, do not carry one-sidedly pro- or anti-globalization messages, thus there may not be straightforward media effects on attitudes towards globalization. Survey analysis shows that both Mainland Chinese and Hong Kong people do generally believe in the benefits for China to engage with globalization. In the case of China, positive views are more strongly held among the more educated and more nationalistic people, and among heavy consumers of national media.
Unraveling global discontents in the Chinese society: The role of media and individuals' negative perceptions about globalization
Wan-Ying Lin Like many other major transformative processes, globalization produces winners and losers. While large-scale surveys and cases studies have revealed different levels of resistance to globalization in many countries all over the world, little is known about how this movement is received or opposed in the Chinese society. This study intends to unravel global discontents in the context of China and Hong Kong, in attempts to profile those who hold negative perceptions about globalization in different Chinese societies. We draw upon media system dependency theory to explore the role of media in shaping individuals' views about globalization. Based on our survey, it is found that 40% of the respondents in mainland China hold negative perceptions about globalization, while data from Hong Kong are being collected. Meanwhile, male, younger, and less-educated people are more likely to hold negative views about globalization. With the media come into play, we find that the more individuals rely on media to get news, the less likely they will view globalization negatively. On the other hand, if individuals rely on media more for relaxation purposes, the more likely they will hold negative perceptions. Given the different political culture in China and Hong Kong, individuals' media connections and perceptions about globalization will be compared and contrasted.
Exposure to foreign media content: A comparison of Mainland China and Hong Kong audiences
Mike Z. Yao As Mainland China becomes an increasingly globalized society, there are more opportunities for Mainland Chinese to be exposed to and interact with the outside world. However, the Chinese government still attempts to restrict foreign television programs, books, newspapers, Web sites, and other forms of media in an effort to control China's cultural life. Only a handful of foreign media companies have successfully gained access to China's domestic media market, and their operations are closely monitored by the Chinese government. Access to foreign media content inside China often relies on alternative channels such as the Internet, illegal satellite dishes, and pirated DVDs. An earlier study of four cities in Mainland China found that younger individuals who have higher levels of income, education, and English proficiency, and those with extensive social ties in foreign countries were more likely to be interested in foreign issues and to be exposed to foreign media content. While it is geographically, politically, and culturally attached to Mainland China, Hong Kong has a drastically different media market. Being a British colony for nearly a century, Hong Kong has adapted to the socio-economic traditions of the Great Britain, and has fully embraced a free market economy. Residents of Hong Kong can easily access various foreign media content through main stream outlets. Additionally, local media in Hong Kong often give extensive coverage to foreign issues due to Hong Kong's unique position as a global financial center. The similarities and differences between Hong Kong and Mainland China present a unique opportunity for a cross cultural comparison. The present study aims to compare the amount and pattern of exposure to foreign media content among Mainland Chinese and Hong Kong Chinese. Specifically, the influence of cultural, political, and economic globalization upon individuals' foreign media consumption are explored.
The Ambivalent Other: Chinese Nationalism, Media, and the Imagined America
Chin-Chuan Lee This paper seeks to compare the role of the media and nationalist feelings in constructing the image of the United States as an ambivalent other among mainland Chinese and Hong Kong Chinese. The image of the United States incorporates four dimensions: U.S. global leadership, U.S. hegemony, positive way of life, and negative way of life. There are three kinds of Chinese nationalists: holders of western values (non-nationalists), political nationalists based on practical calculation of interests, and cultural nationalists who believe in the superiority of Chinese culture. In mainland China, we hypothesize that there are more "cultural nationalists" than "political nationalists" and "non-nationalists" (in that order). In Hong Kong, as a meeting point of east and west, we hypothesize that there are more "non-nationalists" than "cultural nationalists" and "political nationalists" (in that order). We further hypothesize that holders of western values (non-nationalists) seem to see both sides of America: while they approve US global leadership and have a positive view about its way of life, they are also critical of its negative of life. Political "nationalists" tend to disapprove of US global leadership. Cultural "nationalists" tend to be diehard anti-American, holding most negative views of the US. The relationships between nationalism and the images of the United States are enhanced by such media variables as the extent of media exposure and the perceived media credibility.
Conceptualizing and Measuring "Glocality": A Comparison of China and Hong Kong
Dr. Zhou He The concept of "glocalization" means "the creation of products or services intended for the global market, but customized to suit the local cultures" (Roberson, 1995). It refers to both the status and consequence of the glocalization movement. It blends both the "global" and "local" and evolves along with the two-way glocalization process, and it exists at all levels, from the national level down to the individual level. This study attempts to examine "glocality," defined as the degree of glocalization at the individual level, in China and Hong. It aims to test a comprehensive index that captures not only physical and social dimensions of glocalization (e.g., SES and contact with the outside world), but also the psychological dimension, such as individuals' attitudes, values, "glocal consciousness" and "imagined elsewhere" and compare the levels of glocality in two regions that share some cultural traditions but differ significantly in their current status of cultural, economic and political development in the recent globalization movement. The study is meaningful and important in that that it is a pioneering effort to measure empirically what globality and locality manifest themselves at the individual level, to construct a scale of "glocality," to treat media use/exposure as part of the group of dependant variables of "glocality" so as to shed new light on the role of the media in the construction of social reality, social knowledge and self identification, and to compare different societies using the same index.
The Taipei Survey is Underway
CCR has won a research grant totaling NT$805,585 from the Taipei Municipal Government through competitive bidding, to conduct a survey study on media and globalization among Taipei residents. This survey will provide useful comparison with the two surveys that have been completed in mainland China and Hong Kong; altogether this will be the most comprehensive and authoritative survey research on the topic in greater China. The principal investigator is Professor Lee Chin-Chuan, working with the Election Study Center of National Chengchi University in Taiwan.
Keynote Speech on the Status of Communication Research
Professor Lee Chin-Chuan was the invited keynote speaker at the annual conference of the Chinese Communication Society held in Taipei on 4 July 2008, and again at the first Young Communication Scholars' Forum held at Nanjing University on 1 August 2008. His speech was entitled "Communication Research: Its Identity Problems and Further Challenges."
Award for Post-doc Position in Media and Communication
Prof Jonathan Zhu has been awarded by the University Central Post-doc Panel a competitive grant under the Research Scholarship Enhancement Scheme (RSES). The funding will be used to create a 2-year Post-doc position in research on complex social networks and e-Social Science in the new Department of Media and Communication. This is the only successful application from FHS in this round and the third in FHS history. According to the RSES criteria, the competitive grants are given based on SCI/SSCI Impact Factor and other indicators of track records of both the applicants and the targeted candidates for the Post-doc positions. The proposed Post-doc candidate for Prof Zhu's grant is Linying Xiang, who is completing her PhD in Control Theory and Control Engineering at Nankai University and has published multiple articles in SCI journals of high impact. She will bring in new theory and methodology to Prof Zhu's ongoing research on new media technology and e-Social Science.
Five Competitive Papers of Communication Research Students at ICA 2008
Five research students in Communication have successfully made into the competitive paper sessions of the incoming conference of International Communication (ICA 2008): Jiang Shujun (Penny), Peng Taiquan (Winson), Song Jing, Zhang Jingguang (Andrew), and Zhong Zhijin. Jing and Zhang are supervised by Prof C C Lee and Penny, Winson and Zhijin by me.
As many of you know, the annual conference of ICA is the most competitive meeting in the field of communication around the world. We had students going to ICA in the past. However, this year has broken the record not only in terms of the number of papers, but also measured by the successful rate (five out of the six submitted). While there is no official information available at the moment, it is likely, based on past conferences, that CityU research students will form the largest "Asian legion" in the highly visible ICA 2008, to be held in Montreal, Canada in May.
Communication research students have also been active in getting published in SSCI-listed journals. Dr Zhou Yueqiong (Christina), an associate professor of Communication School at Shenzhen University, who is considered to be one of the most productive SSCI authors in mainland China, wrote two SSCI journal articles while studying at CityU under the supervision of Dr Zhou He. Winson, who is to complete his PhD this year, has already published one SSCI article with a few more in the pipeline. Even in her first year in the program, Zhijin completed two manuscripts, both currently under review at SSCI journals. The record of SSCI publications by our students has clearly outperformed competing programs in the region.
|