The socialization of nationalist and socialist values: Construction of the model youth in a Chinese reality TV show

IF 2.3 3区社会学 Q1 AREA STUDIES

China Information Pub Date : 2024-04-02 DOI:10.1177/0920203x241241370

Zhili Lin, Charity Lee, Surinderpal Kaur

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Commenting on the future development of China, President Xi Jinping said, ‘China’s children today are not only undergoing and witnessing the realization of the country’s first centenary goal, they are also a new force for achieving the second centenary goal and building China into a great modern socialist country.’ This statement reflects a socially shared belief that Chinese children and youth are expected to shoulder the responsibility of nation-building. This study explores how the ideology of nationalism is disseminated through the popular Chinese reality TV show, X-Change, via the legitimation of the model Chinese youth. Using Rowan Mackay’s multimodal legitimation framework to analyse six episodes from Season 18 of X-Change, this article explores how the model Chinese youth is semiotically constructed and legitimized. Findings from the analysis reveal how the model Chinese youth represents a specific normalized national identity. This is promoted through the embodiment of the urban–rural binary by the show’s main characters and the representation of the exchange journey as the inner transformation of ‘problematic’ citizens.

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民族主义和社会主义价值观的社会化：中国真人秀节目中的模范青年建设

习近平主席在谈到中国未来发展时说："今天的中国少年儿童不仅是实现第一个百年奋斗目标的亲历者和见证者，也是实现第二个百年奋斗目标、把我国建设成为社会主义现代化强国的生力军。这句话反映了一种社会共识，即中国儿童和青少年应肩负起国家建设的重任。本研究探讨了民族主义意识形态是如何通过中国流行的真人秀节目《X-变》，通过中国模范青年的合法化来传播的。本文运用罗文-麦凯（Rowan Mackay）的多模态合法化框架分析了《X-变》第 18 季中的六集节目，探讨了模范中国青年是如何被符号建构和合法化的。分析结果揭示了模范中国青年如何代表了一种特定的正常化国家身份。节目中的主要人物体现了城乡二元对立，并将交流之旅表述为 "问题 "公民的内心转变，从而促进了这种身份认同。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

China Information AREA STUDIES-

CiteScore

3.50

自引率

4.80%

发文量

期刊介绍： China Information presents timely and in-depth analyses of major developments in contemporary China and overseas Chinese communities in the areas of politics, economics, law, ecology, culture, and society, including literature and the arts. China Information pays special attention to views and areas that do not receive sufficient attention in the mainstream discourse on contemporary China. It encourages discussion and debate between different academic traditions, offers a platform to express controversial and dissenting opinions, and promotes research that is historically sensitive and contemporarily relevant.