FLL 21F 199 Chinese Youth and Web Culture
spring 2015
Time: Tuesday 7- 9:45 PM
Classroom: 14N-217
Instructor: Professor Jing Wang
Stellar site: http://stellar.mit.edu/S/course/21F/sp15/21F.199/
Office Hours: by appointments
Office: 14N-311
Email: [email protected]
Prerequisites: 21F113 or by permission of instructor
Course Description
This subject introduces the cultural trends and media consumption of Chinese Generation X and
the post-1990s generation in the context of Web culture. Topics include the history of Chinese
Internet culture, the production and circulation of memes, online realty shows, Chinese online
entertainment culture, online literature and mobile phone mini-stories; online youth activism;
Internet incidents and the public opinion making by virtual communities; cyber violence and the
phenomenon of the human flesh engine; spoof culture online; and the relevance or irrelevance of
social media to social movements. We will examine online pop culture and debates initiated by
Internet celebrities and online activist communities that made an impact on Chinese society and
politics. Students will also complete “friending” assignments using Chinese Web 2.0 platforms.
Students will upgrade the skills of conducting discussions of topics and practicing making valid
arguments in Chinese. Two thirds of the reading materials will be Chinese. Lectures and class
discussions will be conducted in Chinese. Papers can be written in English but it has to be
accompanied by a Chinese summary.
Required Texts
Winnie Wong and Jing Wang, “Reconsidering the 2006 MIT Visualizing Cultures Controversy,”
Positions: Asia Critique, 2015.
Articles in Chinese and English on electronic reserve
Books on Reserve
Online Society in China，
Ed. David Kurt Herold and Peter Marolt, Routledge, 2011.
Requirements
1. Attendance and active participation in discussions (the level of your participation will be
graded); Class presentations, class debates and assigned discussions
35%
2. Weekly e-mail questions: 1 essay question for each assigned reading, s to be submitted by 10
AM every Tuesday. There are 12 sessions altogether in addition to the first and class class.
Every Monday you will get 8 points if you submit the questions on time; you will receive 5
points if your questions are submitted late; you will receive 0 point if you fail to submit a
question @session. The accumulated score for questions are 90 points total. You will also be
graded for the length and quality of your questions. These should be essay questions,
1 preferably written in Chinese, which demonstrates that you have thought through the assigned
readings critically and thoroughly. 30% 3. Project #1
minimum 2 pages, double-spaced, font 12, electronic delivery
15%
Due: March 10, Tuesday
4. Term Paper Project: You should start this project as early as possible
20%
（1）新浪或腾讯微博搜索你认为 2012 年- 2014 年最有价值的 5 个网络事件(课堂上没
有讨论过的事件)，记录下来。
（2）选择三个事件，在人人网或者微博上加 50 个好友；跟踪这些网络事件：与 50 名
好友互动谈论这些网络事件
（3）根据（2）的讨论结果，比较美国与中国的年轻人社交网络文化的异同
2 Syllabus
February 3
Introduction: Lecture
Entertainment Culture Online
Feb. 10
Topic: 网络流行文化
1. ⽹网络流⾏行语 2014 (e-reserve)
2. ⼭山寨来了 (e-reserve)
3. Shanzhai’s Role in Innovation Strategy
http://designmind.frogdesign.com/articles/shanzhai-s-role-in-innovation-strategy.html
作业：每⼈人找⼀一个美国流⾏行的 meme, 分析⼀一下
Feb. 17
Monday Schedule of classes, no class
Feb. 24
Topic：真人秀（非诚勿扰）
1. 性格⾊色彩分析 http://www.blueharvest.net/temp/test/
2. 乐嘉, 《让你的爱，⾮非诚勿扰》, Chapter 1 & 5 (e-reserve)
Chapter 6 (handout) 126-146
(e-reserve)
3. Watch “致青春” (赵薇导演)
In Class：⾮非诚勿扰 screening
March 3
Topic：网络文坛巨星
1. 韩寒：杂的⽂文（e-reserve)
2. 中国博客调查：“⽹网络上的⽩白韩之争” (e-reserve)
3. 韩寒，《⽂文坛是个屁，谁也别装逼》（e-reserve)
4. Poetry generator
March 10
Topic：⽹网络名⼈人
1. ⽊木⼦子美：http://law.anhuinews.com/system/2003/11/17/000493106.shtml
2. 姐姐芙蓉
(e-reserve)
3. 雷神极品⼥女⼩小⽉月⽉月
(e-reserve)
4. 极品乞丐犀利哥
(e-reserve)
5. 全民娱乐时代下的⽹网络恶搞
3 (e-reserve)
Topic：百家论坛和电视剧
March 17
《百家讲坛》“今⽣生”论：电视娱乐为何如⽇日中天（e-reserve)
Class Report: 我最喜欢的电视剧
March 24
Spring Break
March 31
Topic：网络事件、人肉搜索
1. 孙志刚事件
（e-reserve)
2. “虐猫事件”人肉搜索
（e-reserve)
3. 郭美美事件
（e-reserve)
4. 重庆最牛钉子户
(e-reserve)
5. Jack Qiu, “Why the Revolution Will Not Be Weibo’d?” (e-reserve)
Internet & Empowerment & Youth Activism
April 7 Topic: Online Controversy & Online Learning
Jing Wang & Winnie Wong, Introduction to “Reconsidering MIT VC
Controversy”
Jack Qiu, “Baobao Add Oil! Image-Driven Nationalism, Generation Post-80s,
and Mainland Students in Hong Kong”
Wang, “Reframing the MIT Controversy: Let’s Talk about the Digital Medium”
William Callahan, “Textualizing Cultures: Thinking Beyond the MIT
Controversy”
“An Open Letter to Professor Michael Sandel” on Moocs,
http://chronicle.com/article/The-Document-an-Open-Letter/138937/
April 14
Topic：⽹网络推⼿手
1. 网络推手
2. 凤姐走红网络—审丑浪潮后的网络商业炒作
3. Watch Film 陈凯歌《搜索》
April 21
Patriot’s Day, no class
April 28
Topic: Censorship、⽹网络谣⾔言
(e-reserve)
(e-reserve)
1. Rebecca McKinnon, "China's Censorship 2.0"
(http://firstmonday.org/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/2378/208
9)
2. 百度过滤词
3. Internet Monitor Report 2013: Reflections on the Digital World
http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/node/8690
4. “奥运谣⾔言”的实验设计
May
5
(e-reserve)
Topic： Umbrella Revolution (Hong Kong)
4 1. “We Can See Each Other on WeChat”
http://blog.frieze.com/we-can-see-each-other-on-wechat/
2. The Umbrella Movement, http://today.code4.hk/
May 12
Student final project presentation
5