Research Essay: Portrayal of China in Western Media

Portrayal of China in western media

Zhen Troy CHEN, PhD, FHEA Lecturer, Communication Studies

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University HS323, [email protected]

Module aims and objectives

• Investigate the ways in which “Western” views of China have or have not changed through history.

• To reflect critically on how China is represented in the West, through a variety of print, visual and electronic/digital media.

• To examine the history of interaction between China and the West as it relates to the portrayal of China.

Learning outcomes

A. Describe a range of portrayals concerning China and locate them within particular contexts in writing

B. Reflect critically on the cultural, geographical and linguistic identity of China by the ways in which China is portrayed

C. Account for differences in intercultural and intergroup perceptions relating to China and its population;

D. Identify, evaluate and study primary and secondary sources of relevance to the portrayal of China across a range of media.

E. Gain a basis in theoretical and historical understandings of representation to include but not limited to this history of colonialism in Asia and China, Orientalism, and contemporary social and political movements which effect changes in media representation of China.

F. Analyse how Western-centric concepts of tradition and modernity inflect specific readings of China, ones which are often at odds with how many Chinese read their own culture and society

What is “Media”?

• We use the term “media” in this course to a full range of cultural products which constitute western representations of China and Chinese culture

• Academic research and publications • Journalism (Mass Media) and Social Media • Art, Fashion (Clothing) and Design • Literature, fiction and non-fiction • Film, TV, Advertisement • Historical and contemporary documents: Diaries, diplomatic

communications, biographies, etc.

What will we be doing in this course?

• Critically analyzing the arguments of western observers about China. • We will be asking questions like the following. • Are those arguments based on facts? • Are they based on opinions? • Are they “true” or are they just one possible interpretations of the truth? • How has the western observer been influenced in making that

interpretation? • What purpose does their interpretation serve? • Are they fair or unfair?

Portrayal of China in western media: Is there a “REAL” China?

• How do we know which version of China is “real”? Is there a “Chinese reality”? • This is a question of the “ontology” of China • Ontology is concerned with “what exists”.

• Can western observers ever understand China, or can they only interpret China? • This is a question of “epistemology”: how do we know what we know

about China?

• Epistemology is concerned with questions of “what is knowledge” •

Portrayal of China in western media: key concepts

• Ontology 本体论 vs Epistemology 知识论 • What is China? (Ontological) • How did we get this knowledge? (Epistemological) • Is it “true”? (Epistemological)

• Empirical 实证论 vs Normative 规范理论 • Are these views of China based on evidence (empirical)? • Are they based on values (normative)? • Empirical claims make statements about what “is” or “is not” true. • Normative claims make statements about what “should” or “should not”

be.

Portrayal of China in western media: key concepts

• A Priori Knowledge 先验知识 • Refers to knowledge which we can “figure out”. • A Priori knowledge requires no “evidence”. • Instead it requires “reason”

• A Posteriori Knowledge • Refers to knowledge which must be “proven” with

evidence or reason.

Portrayal of China in western media: key concepts

• A Priori vs A Posteriori: Examples (a) 2+2 = 4 (b) Green is a Colour (c) Grass is Green

(d) All bachelors are unmarried (e) All bachelors want to get married

(f) It is wrong to hurt another person (g) Everyone should have equal rights (h) Everyone has equal rights

(i) China has a population of 1.347bn people.

Portrayal of China in western media: key concepts

• A Priori vs A Posteriori: Examples (a) 2+2 = 4 (b) Green is a Colour (c) Grass is Green (d) All bachelors are unmarried (e) All bachelors want to get married (f) It is wrong to hurt another person (g) Everyone should have equal rights (h) Everyone has equal rights (i) China has a population of 1.347bn people.

Portrayal of China in western media: Different Empirical Data

• Science and Positivism • Positivism is an approach to social science which comes from

the Natural Sciences (biology, chemistry, physics etc) • It is deductive 演绎的；推论的 • Main aim is to develop a “hypothesis” and then gather evidence. • The evidence will either “prove” or “disprove” the hypothesis. • Generally, positivism uses ‘quantitative’ data. • Objective • Example Hypothesis:

• Chinese people like to eat dumplings.

Portrayal of China in western media: Different Empirical Data

• Interpretivism • Is more like detective work than pure science. • Uses an inductive approach to build theory (not prove or disprove a

hypothesis)

• Inductive reasoning is based on a method in which you use individual ideas or facts to give you a general rule or conclusion. 归纳的

• Subjective • Interested in how and why things happen, how and why people behave

the way they do. • Generally uses ‘qualitative’ research • Example Question:

• What are the cultural reasons that dumplings are so popular in China?

Portrayal of China in western media: What are we interested in?

• What do western accounts of China tell us about: • The values of the people who made those portrayals of China • The worldview of the people who made those portrayals of

China

• The function of those portrayals of China in western society • How western China-watchers use evidence to support their

arguments

• Do they use empirical evidence? Do they use normative values to judge China? Do they use both?

• What evidence do they use? What values do they have?

Portrayal of China in western media: about class schedule

• Each week we will look at several readings:

• Readings will be on ICE before class each week • You MUST read these before coming to class • Don’t worry if you don’t understand them! • If there is anything you don’t understand, highlight or take a

note. We can discuss in class.

• I will also give a few questions to answer (on ICE or in class). • These questions are a form of practice for essay and project.

• We will use the following concepts to “critically” analyze various texts. These concepts will be extremely useful for ALL the assessments.

• Epistemology • Ontology • Normative • Empirical • Positivist • Interpretivist

Portrayal of China in western media: Assessments

• ESSAY 50% 2000 words

• Media project 50% 5-6 people make media artefacts

• (More details on these later)

Class rules

• Attendance is compulsory. Attendance taken on ICE. • For the first few online weeks, student will watch recorded slides. • For seminars, we will use ICE: Chat function for BBB.

• What do I expect from you? • Do the readings. Watch and read other course materials I prepared for you. • What can you expect from me? – Class online and offline; Office hours

• How can you get a good grade? • Attend class, read the articles, answer the questions and • Find something you are really interested in.