Leiden University Student Repository

Sun, Sijie (2019)

The Strategic Role of Sina Weibo in Sensitive Online Discourses: An analysis of online discourse regarding homosexuality and the role of Sina Weibo in online movement

Bachelor thesis | International Studies (BA)

The development of digital media provides audiences easier access to information from multiple sources. In the past decades, with the popularization of the internet, the emergence of social media and the fast increasing number of users have become a social phenomenon around the world. In particular, China as a country with its isolated internet has developed its own social media platforms which under a system with strong state control and censorship. Apart from strong state control, Chinese social media platforms gradually take the role of reflecting public opinions through an online discussion about political or social issues. As one of the largest social media platforms in China, Sina Weibo plays a remarkable role in online discussion and governmental supervision. This thesis particularly analyzes Sina Weibo’s role in an online social discussion regarding homosexuality and homosexual people in China, in order to understand the role of Sina Weibo in online discourses regarding a...Show moreThe development of digital media provides audiences easier access to information from multiple sources. In the past decades, with the popularization of the internet, the emergence of social media and the fast increasing number of users have become a social phenomenon around the world. In particular, China as a country with its isolated internet has developed its own social media platforms which under a system with strong state control and censorship. Apart from strong state control, Chinese social media platforms gradually take the role of reflecting public opinions through an online discussion about political or social issues. As one of the largest social media platforms in China, Sina Weibo plays a remarkable role in online discussion and governmental supervision. This thesis particularly analyzes Sina Weibo’s role in an online social discussion regarding homosexuality and homosexual people in China, in order to understand the role of Sina Weibo in online discourses regarding a moral issue, and to further investigate the implication for online social discussions. The role taken by Sina Weibo can thus be argued as “strategic positions to survive”, based on the relation with the users and Chinese authorities. In this case, a power relation among Weibo users, Chinese authorities and Weibo users could also be conducted from research findings.Show less

Online discourse

Sina Weibo

Social media

Homosexuality

Online movement

Author

Sun, Sijie

Faculty

Faculty of Humanities

Specialisation

East Asia

Supervisors

Nie, Yuxi

ECTS Credits

15

Language

en