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Full-Text Articles in Sociology of Culture
Inventing The ‘Authentic’ Self: American Television And Chinese Audiences In Global Beijing, Yang Gao
Inventing The ‘Authentic’ Self: American Television And Chinese Audiences In Global Beijing, Yang Gao
Research Collection School of Social Sciences
This article examines the ways educated urban Chinese youths engage American television fiction as part of their identity work. Drawing on theories of modern reflexive identity, and based on 29 interviews with US TV fans among university students in Beijing, I found these youths are drawn to this television primarily because they perceive the American way of life portrayed on it as more ‘authentic’. This perception of authenticity must be examined within the socio-cultural milieu these students inhabit. Specifically, torn between China’s ingrained collectivist culture and its recent neoliberal emphasis on the individual self, my respondents glean from US TV …
Fiction As Reality: Chinese Youths Watching American Television, Yang Gao
Fiction As Reality: Chinese Youths Watching American Television, Yang Gao
Research Collection School of Social Sciences
American television fiction is gaining traction among educated urban Chinese youths. Drawing on 29 interviews with fans among college students in Beijing, this article examines a shared perception among these youths that American television is ‘‘real.’’ This perceived realism, which is essential to their viewing pleasure, has two sources: American programming’s textual quality and the Chinese context in which it is consumed. First, US television appeals to Chinese youths because they perceive its topical content and complex characterization as true to life. This perception can be explained by the higher transnational cultural capital of these youths, which renders US programming …