BEING “NON-MAINSTREAM” IN CHINESE CYBERSPACE: FZL SUBCULTURE ON THE INTERNET
(2009)Centre for East and South-East Asian Studies, Lund University
- Abstract
- The rise of the FZL (feizhuliu) subculture was one of the most eye-catching cultural phenomena in the Chinese cyberspace between 2007 and 2008. It has been considered as vulgar, destructive and problematic by the masses. The purpose of this research was to offer a fresh perspective and insightful view into the FZL subculture. It also was aimed to contribute to the studies of the intersection of subcultures and the Internet, and the understanding of social inclusion in Chinese cyberspace. The central research questions were raised: “What was the relation between the Internet and the FZL subculture?” and “How was FZL “non-mainstream? How did FZL resist mainstream norms and values?” The research was mainly designed in qualitative methods with... (More)
- The rise of the FZL (feizhuliu) subculture was one of the most eye-catching cultural phenomena in the Chinese cyberspace between 2007 and 2008. It has been considered as vulgar, destructive and problematic by the masses. The purpose of this research was to offer a fresh perspective and insightful view into the FZL subculture. It also was aimed to contribute to the studies of the intersection of subcultures and the Internet, and the understanding of social inclusion in Chinese cyberspace. The central research questions were raised: “What was the relation between the Internet and the FZL subculture?” and “How was FZL “non-mainstream? How did FZL resist mainstream norms and values?” The research was mainly designed in qualitative methods with inductive fashion. The primary data came from online participant observation in Yupsky.com, Tieba.baidu.com, and FZLGO.com, the websites dedicated to the FZL subculture and online personal spaces run by FZL subculturalists. The research found out that the Internet is the only social space where a FZL identity can be acquired, and to be a FZL subculturalist is to engage with the Internet and create an online FZL identity. The findings also revealed that FZL’s identities are totally different and even contradictory with the norms and values shared by the mainstream Chinese netizens. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/1698221
- author
- Zhou, Pianzhou
- supervisor
- organization
- year
- 2009
- type
- H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
- subject
- keywords
- non-mainstream, cyberspace, China, FZL, subculture, subculturalist, Internet, identity, netizen
- language
- English
- id
- 1698221
- date added to LUP
- 2010-10-21 15:21:01
- date last changed
- 2010-10-21 15:21:01
@misc{1698221, abstract = {{The rise of the FZL (feizhuliu) subculture was one of the most eye-catching cultural phenomena in the Chinese cyberspace between 2007 and 2008. It has been considered as vulgar, destructive and problematic by the masses. The purpose of this research was to offer a fresh perspective and insightful view into the FZL subculture. It also was aimed to contribute to the studies of the intersection of subcultures and the Internet, and the understanding of social inclusion in Chinese cyberspace. The central research questions were raised: “What was the relation between the Internet and the FZL subculture?” and “How was FZL “non-mainstream? How did FZL resist mainstream norms and values?” The research was mainly designed in qualitative methods with inductive fashion. The primary data came from online participant observation in Yupsky.com, Tieba.baidu.com, and FZLGO.com, the websites dedicated to the FZL subculture and online personal spaces run by FZL subculturalists. The research found out that the Internet is the only social space where a FZL identity can be acquired, and to be a FZL subculturalist is to engage with the Internet and create an online FZL identity. The findings also revealed that FZL’s identities are totally different and even contradictory with the norms and values shared by the mainstream Chinese netizens.}}, author = {{Zhou, Pianzhou}}, language = {{eng}}, note = {{Student Paper}}, title = {{BEING “NON-MAINSTREAM” IN CHINESE CYBERSPACE: FZL SUBCULTURE ON THE INTERNET}}, year = {{2009}}, }