Predicting online feminist engagement after MeToo: a study combining resource mobilization and integrative social identity paradigms

Abstract

Although the MeToo campaign has been suspended in China, this study examines the conditions under which hashtag feminism against sexual harassment may reemerge. Both the resource mobilization and integrative social identity approaches to social movements are adopted in analyzing the data collected in a cross-sectional survey. The results revealed that female netizens’ experience of sexism led to their tendency to expose sexual harassment online by participating in online discussions about MeToo. Moreover, female netizens’ perceived injustice and Internet efficacy both directly predicted their online engagement tendency and mediated the relationship between group identity and their tendency to engage online. Because both paradigms have strong explanatory power, the prospect of the hashtag feminist movement against sexual harassment in China is contingent upon two conditions. First, a massive number of female netizens could be mobilized to share their personal encounters online without crossing the “high-voltage line” of online censorship. Second, three psychosocial dynamics—group identity, perceived injustice, and Internet efficacy—could provide the momentum required for feminist engagement.

Keywords:

• Hashtag feminism
• MeToo
• resource mobilization
• social identity
• Internet efficacy

Acknowledgments

The authors thank two anonymous referees for their valuable comments.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Fujian Social Sciences Fund under Grant [FJ2018MGCA043].

Notes on contributors

Qianying Zhou

Qianying Zhou is a PhD student in the School of Journalism and Communication at Xiamen University. Her current research addresses the role of social media in women’s health. She can be contacted via [email protected].

Hongfeng Qiu

Hongfeng Qiu is a professor in the School of Journalism and Communication at Xiamen University. He received his PhD degree from the University of Sydney. His research interests include health communication, risk communication, and gender, media, and society. He can be contacted via [email protected].