Self-narration and double articulation: A study of a WeChat group of Pumi villagers. Issue 4 (December 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Sun, Xinru
• Is Part Of: Communication and the public. Volume 1:Issue 4(2016)
• Page Start: 500
• Page End: 503
• Publication Date: 2016-12
• Subjects: Double articulation -- Pumi ethnic group -- self-expression -- self-narration -- WeChat; Communication -- Periodicals; Communication -- Social aspects -- Periodicals; 302.2
• DOI: 10.1177/2057047316681172
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2057-0473

Abstract

The study focuses on the WeChat usage and WeChat group activities of a group of Pumi youngsters in order to investigate their self-expression and interaction. This is done by adopting methods of online ethnography and offline fieldwork, which explains how the new medium gets involved in their daily lives and is used to construct multiple narrations. In this article, WeChat is regarded to be a kind of self-processed cultural description and practice. Meanwhile, WeChat builds one's daily life through double articulation as mentioned by Roger Silverstone. Thus, WeChat connects reality and virtual space, interweaves individual minds with ethnic beliefs and achieves a tighter interaction between the inside and the outside of a village.