Constructing the Chinese Civic National Identities in the New Era

Abstract

This thesis investigates how civic national identity is being shaped and reshaped by onlinepolitical discussions in the framework of structuration theory. Through analysis of responses to an anonymous survey, investigation of officialdocuments, and observation of online political discussions, this thesis reveals howcontemporary Chinese national identity is being shaped and contested by statenationalists and social nationalists during their online interactions. The findings indicate that the construction of Chinese civic national identity has departedfrom the previous grip, which sought civic identity at the expense of underminingethnocultural identity. State nationalists and social nationalists intensively contest civicnational identity surrounding ‘the state versus the nation’ and ‘Chinese characteristicsversus socialism’. These contestations are particularly related to themes includingpatriotism and citizenship, guiding political ideology, democracy, and the economy.Institutionalised socio-political structures do not play a decisive role in directing theperceptions and actions of social actors of both groups in these contestations, while socialactors’ agencies also do not always go against or mediate with institutionalised structures. Civic national identity is shaped and reshaped through practices and interactions amongcitizens that transform, reproduce, or mediate with structures. In relation to the two targetgroups, state nationalists primarily promote and consolidate a state-oriented civic nationalidentity, which internalises the civic identity of the state as the civic national identity. Incontrast, social nationalists aspire to constitute a socialist civic national identity that unitesthe nation under socialist practices. However, their actions largely remain in the attempt totransform the mainstream online public discourse, but are hard to bring into offlinepractices due to both structural constraints and the agencies of other members.