Taking stock, moving forward: the Internet, social networks and civic engagement in Chinese societies

Abstract

The Internet in China reflects many contradictions and complexities of the society in which it is embedded. Despite the growing significance of digital media and technologies, research on their contingent, nonlinear, and sometimes paradoxical impact on Chinese citizens' civic engagement remains theoretically underdeveloped and empirically understudied. As importantly, many studies on the Internet implications in the Chinese societies have centered on China. This essay introduces seven articles that draw on a variety of theoretical and methodological approaches to advance a balanced and context-rich understanding of the implications of digital media and technologies in China, Taiwan, and the global Chinese diaspora. It further discusses venues for future research, especially studies that take into account the evolving Chinese media landscape and the rise of the mobile Internet, civic and political participation across multiple platforms and their interactions, as well as organizational and interpersonal networks as the state and an emerging civil society inform, empower, and engage one another via digital media.

Keywords:

• the Internet
• digital media
• social media
• Weibo
• ICTs
• civic engagement
• China
• Taiwan
• Chinese diaspora
• transnational practices

Acknowledgements

The author deeply appreciates the insight and wisdom shared by Barry Wellman, Stephen Reese, Joseph Straubhaar, and Heidi Campbell in the process of editing this special issue. Without the hard work from the authors and the reviewers, this special issue would not be possible. Special thanks go to Brian Loader and Sarah Shrive-Morrison for their guidance and assistance.

Notes on contributor

Wenhong Chen, PhD, is an assistant professor in the Department of Radio-TV-Film, College of Communication, at the University of Texas at Austin. She obtained her PhD in Sociology from the University of Toronto. Before joining the faculty, she was a SSHRC postdoctoral research fellow at Duke University. Her research has focused on the implications of new media and communication technologies in entrepreneurial, organizational, and multiethnic settings. Her research has been funded by the Pew Internet and American Life Project, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, Advanced Micro Devices, and Bell Canada. Dr Chen's work has appeared in leading journals such as Journal of American Society of Information Science, New Media and Society, Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, Information, Communication & Society, The Information Society, Computers in Human Behavior, Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking, Information, Communication & Society, Journal of Broadcast and Electronic Media, Management and Organization Review, Entrepreneurship Theory & Practice, Journal of Small Business Management, and others. [email: [email protected]]