Constructing Public Space|Weibo, WeChat, and the Transformative Events of Environmental Activism in China

Authors

  • Kevin Michael DeLuca University of Utah
  • Elizabeth Brunner University of Utah
  • Ye Sun University of Utah

Keywords:

digital rhetoric, activism, social movements, environment, China, Deleuze

Abstract

The emergence of China and the advent of social media are two events that rupture the world as it is and force a rethinking of activism and public spaces. Environmental protests in China, often performed on a mediascape dominated by social media, suggest new conditions of possibility for activism and a need to adopt new methods and tools for understanding the myriad practices of activists in China that exceed the strictures of governmental control and offer hope for different futures. This essay theorizes emerging practices of citizenship and inventive imaginings of public spaces by introducing wild public screens. To do so, we analyze how Chinese environmentalists deploy Weibo, WeChat, and other social media platforms.

Author Biographies

Kevin Michael DeLuca, University of Utah

Professor(801) 585-9898


Elizabeth Brunner, University of Utah

PhD Candidate614-507-4224

Ye Sun, University of Utah

Assistant Professor801-581-6889

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Published

2016-01-06

Issue

Vol. 10 (2016)

Section

Special Sections

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