Week 3_Reflexivity and Positionality_Yuanqing Liang

[Last modified: October, 21 2024 09:25 AM]

My research question is about how Chinese international students in the UK use the Chinese social media “Red” (Xiaohongshu) as a tool like an encyclopedia to adapt into the local culture and construct their identities under a new cultural context. The ethnography will mainly explore participants’ daily experience of their uses of their lives in the UK. The reason I chose this topic is because it is closely related to my life. Since I came to London in 2021 to study my undergraduate course, especially when I was unfamiliar with everything here, Red made it easy for me to access a lot of information. For example, during the pandemic, I used Red to obtain information about getting vaccinated in London and purchasing test kits. Perhaps as I became more familiar with London, my frequency of using Red decreased, but whenever I need to explore new areas, it remains my first choice because there are thousands of international students sharing their life experiences on the platform.

My familiarity with Red and my extensive personal experience related to it provide a solid background for my research. However, this is two-sided: as a researcher, my deep understanding of the research context may lead to preconceived notions, or I may unintentionally guide participants’ responses during the study, which could create an imbalance in my positionality. This might result in my positionality becoming the dominant factor in shaping the information provided by participants—something I believe could cause certain aspects of the research to lose objectivity. For instance, some participants may use Red in a way entirely different from mine, but my preconceived assumptions might introduce bias into the research. Moreover, my own identity characteristics may also influence my positionality. Firstly, as a female, I may be more familiar with ‘using Red in a female way,’ but in fact, I have little understanding of how male international students use Red. Additionally, different consumption habits shaped by family background might also lead to different usage patterns. I believe I need to incorporate more open-ended questions in the semi-structured interviews to ensure the objectivity of participants’ responses, and once the research data is organized, I should promptly verify participants’ viewpoints with them.

Week 2_Observation Vignette_Yuanqing Liang

[Last modified: October, 14 2024 09:48 AM]

My research is focus on how Chinese international students who studying in the UK using the social media “Red” as an “Encyclopedia” in their daily lives to construct their identities and adapt to the local culture. In fact, online observation may bring more information, but I would like to see if I can learn something more intuitive offline.

At first, I was a bit confused to decide the place I should choose as a scene to conduct my participant observation session. But I soon found my direction, and I chose to head to the steps of the student centre on main campus, because there might be many students who choose to rest here during their lunch break. I sat there quietly and tried to see if there were any Chinese students around who were using “Red”. Fortunately, soon I was attracted by the sound of discussion, there were two girls who were choosing their lunch and talking in Chinese. One of the girls said, “Let’s search with ‘Red’,” and it sparked my interest.

However, I quickly realized that it would be very offensive and impolite for me to take the liberty of eavesdropping on their conversations behind their backs and trying to peek into their phones. In order to be absolute ethical in the research, I went to my ideal participants and stated my status and purpose as an anthropology student, and said they just had to continue their search. My participants readily agreed and noted that it was their first month in London and they were still unfamiliar with life, and that they were trying to find recommended restaurants near UCL on “Red”.

My participants entered the keyword “restaurants near UCL” (Chinese: UCL附近美食) in the search box of “Red”, and then a lot of rich content popped up on the screen. Many Chinese users who had or were studying at UCL shared their favorite restaurants on “Red” with such keywords, and most of them were graphic, and even some were in the form of videos. They quickly made their decision after checking a few posts and said the content on Red worked well, they always use “Red” to search information and experiences about London.

I think my observation in the student centre was very useful for my research topic, because food is also a part of life and culture. My participants first choose to search on “Red” when they need to obtain information, which represents that “Red” has greatly helped Chinese students’ life in the UK as a social media. However, it is a pity that the sample size of my observation is too small. Next, I hope to conduct further research on “Red” by recruiting volunteer participants to conduct semi-structured interviews or observe and analyze posts.

Week 1_Research Proposal_Yuanqing Liang

[Last modified: October, 6 2024 06:53 PM]

Research Proposal

Topic: The Little Red Book as an “Encyclopedia” for Chinese International Students in the UK: The Role of Digital Platforms in Identity Construction and Cultural Adaptation.

Research Questions:

  • How does “The Little Red Book” serve as a digital platform for Chinese international students to shape their social identity and adapt to cultural differences during their study in the UK?
  • How do Chinese international students who studying in the UK use “The Little Red Book” to bridge cultural gaps and create a support network in their new environments?
  • How do Chinese international students in the UK utilize “The Little Red Book” to navigate practical challenges, such as housing, transportation, and healthcare, in a foreign environment?
  • In what ways does “The Little Red Book” shape the social networks of Chinese international students in the UK, and how do these networks influence their overall well-being and adaptation?

Introduction:

“The Little Red Book” (小红书) was founded in 2013, is a Chinese social e-commerce platform that allows users to share their content through texts and short videos, and purchase recommended products directly on the platform. With user-generated content (UGC) as its core, combined with community interaction and personalized recommendations, it has attracted many young users and become an important tool for obtaining consumption information and life inspiration. Nowadays, the Little Red Book has become an important social media for Chinese students who studying in the UK to adapt to life abroad, where students can share and search everything related to study and life, its content richness can be called “encyclopedia”.

* The name of the digital platform “The Little RED Book” will hereafter be referred to simply as “Red”.

Methodology:

  1. Form of the research: online
  2. Qualitative content analysis: A systematic analysis of the posts on the life of studying abroad in “Red” will be carried out to identify common themes, information types and patterns of community interaction.
  1. Participant observation: Observe the interaction of Chinese international students in the “Red” and learn how they use the platform to obtain information and support in the UK.
  1. Semi-structured Interviews: Semi-structured interviews will be conducted with some active “Red” users (Chinese international students who studying in the UK) to explore their usage habits, sharing motivations, and the impact on social identity and cultural adaptation.

Ethical considerations：

The data involved in the study will be anonymized according to the subjective opinions of the participants.

Expected Results:

  1. Reveal the role of the Little Red Book:

The study will clarify the multiple functions of the “Red” in the life of Chinese overseas students, including serving as an information acquisition channel, resource sharing platform and social interaction tool.

  1. Analysis content types:

The study will identify and classify different types of content posted by Chinese overseas students in the UK on “Red”, such as shopping sharing, life tips, travel guides and academic resources. This will help to understand the topics and points of interest that international students focus on, and how these reflect their actual needs and challenges during the study abroad process.

  1. Understanding community influence:

The study will explore the interaction patterns of Chinese international students in the “Red” community and analyze how they build support networks through sharing and commenting. It will focus on how these communities affect the mental health of international students, the building of social networks and the formation of a sense of belonging to help them better adapt and integrate during them study abroad.

  1. Promote academic discussion:

The study will provide a new perspective and theoretical foundation for academic discussions on digital anthropology, social media studies, and life abroad, advancing the understanding of the impact of digital platforms in the context of globalization.

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