Abstract
New Connectivities in China: Virtual, Actual and Local Interactions delves into the emergent domain of information and communication technologies in China. This text’s expressed purpose is to reveal the “complications in the relationship between virtual, actual, and local interactions” (p. xiv) that often cloud both societal and individual decisions about the place of new communication in an economically evolving country.
The rationale for this volume is quite simple. Enabled by the scope and convenience of new information technology, Chinese culture, societal norms and traditions, along with a newly formed middle class, face impactful changes. This book explores key aspects of these changes while treating the blurred line of virtual and actual communication social networks with a fully descriptive blend of research studies, informed articles and thought-provoking essays.
The book’s editor, Pui-Lam Law, grounds the central inquiry of this text by offering five overarching sections illustrating formative concepts, such as the role of the Internet in a semi-closed society, the place for mobile technology in a burgeoning metropolis, the struggle of old and new culture, the revelation that access often comes with a steep price, and the challenge of what remains local in a increasingly globally connected milieu. Each section develops a wellspring of detail as multiple strong and widespread chapter investigations form the book’s thematic cornerstone.
The collection provides an integrated whole that clearly informs the reader about the history, implications, and outcomes of the three titular interaction connectivities. For example, Part I of the book explores the linkage between the Internet and the potential of a grass roots-oriented social participatory model. Such a model is of keen interest to both Chinese citizens and outside observers because it concisely conceptualizes how new communication technologies can potentially imprint rapid information dissemination while affecting the relationship individuals have with each other.
A closer reading of the second chapter of this section suggests a deeper, and more provocative, question. Can citizens make a rationally fair judgment of actions transmitted via cyber-mediated communication when their world views are guided by national or ethnic sentiments? As chapter author Chung-Tai Cheng cites, the Internet is regarded as a growing platform for freedom of speech; however, “the public sphere itself may be reframed and reconstructed by Chinese interpretations of the Internet” (p. 17). This revelation is quite meaningful when one analyzes the influence of cultural dynamics upon the introduction and application of any communication technology.
Part II is the most relevant section of the book for those who are interested in the use and impact of mobile media devices. It also denotes that the cultural influence represented in the first part of the book might be waning when it comes to newer and more personalized technologies. Here, the advent of device usage leads to the engagement of citizens as both individuals and socially connected network cohorts. Rapid social, economic, and technological change form a context where peer-to-peer communication infuses with digitally mediated mobile phones to provide a rich venue for comprehending of a changing Chinese individualism searching for a new community.
Of note are the findings of a broad-based quantitative study that examined critical perceptions regarding the importance of mobile phone utility, the issue of mobile devices and social connectivity, and how the relational construct of China’s population has been and is being reshaped by device ownership. Studies examining both migrant workers and urban Beijing residents point to the concept that device owners “loosen their family ties and develop a higher level of individualization” (p. 40).
One of this book’s most compelling attributes is the degree to which it details the interwoven components of Chinese life. The complementary and contradictory relationships, changing discourse and recent effects of mobile and net-based technologies instill a plethora of informed observations regarding the societal, operational, and ethical challenges faced by Chinese entities. The multiple chapters are filled with thorough discussions and cogent examples as they trace the difficult ascent of communication technologies’ place in a rising global power.
A minor, yet critical, limitation of this text falls in the lack of recency held in some of the studies. While this collection is a 2012 edition, some of the listed studies range from the early to mid 2000s. This flaw is clearly apparent in the latter sections where both academic relevance and reader interest might be impaired. Perhaps the next edition should reflect more current research endeavors, especially those that inspect the tangible and ever-changing aspects of mobile device communication qualities.
New Connectivities in China: Virtual, Actual and Local Interactions is unique in its depiction of varied scholarly perspectives that are integrated into a generally understandable, and readable, text. The message is sound, enlightening, and compelling. A wide-ranging analysis of this sort should not be avoided by any scholar, researcher, student, or enthusiast of mediated communication – especially those who draw critical interest in regional perspectives.