politics & religion online: uyghur diaspora identity construction on facebook rizwangul...
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Politics & Religion Online: Uyghur Diaspora
Identity Construction
On Facebook
Rizwangul Nur-Muhammad (Unitec NZ)
Giles Dodson (Unitec NZ)
Evangelia Papoutsaki (Unitec NZ)
Heather Horst (RMIT)
ICA REGIONAL CONFERENCE 2014 BRISBANE, 1-3 OCTOBER
DIGITAL TRANSFORMATIONS, SOCIAL MEDIA ENGAGEMENT AND THE ASIAN CENTURY
Turkic origin ethic minority, accepted Islam in mid 10th Century
Homeland – Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR). Incorporated into Chinese state in 1949; history of both independence from & control by China
Ethnic assimilation: Chinese policy to assimilate Uyghurs into Han Chinese majority through ongoing Han immigration- between 1949-2008 increased from 6.7% to 40%
Political repression: Uyghurs have been treated with suspicion of ‘Three Forces’: separatism, religious extremism, and international terrorism
Widespread Uyghur discontent – increasing internal social & political unrest Fig. 1 Xinjiang Uyghur
Autonomous Region (XUAR), CHINA
WHO ARE THE UYGHURS ?
UYGHUR DIASPORA
Countries Population Countries Population
Central Asia 1,500,000 Germany 1,500
Turkey 40-50,000 Japan 1,500
Australia 7,000 Mongolia 1,000
Canada 5,000 France 500
Middle East 3,000 Taiwan 200
Scandinavia 2,000 UK 100
USA 2,000 Switzerland 30
Significant outward migration & diaspora since early 19th century
Previous research findings show Uyghur diaspora identity is ‘under construction’
Internet use is contributing to an emergent Uyghur diaspora identity
Exploring how the Uyghur diaspora identity is being constructed on Facebook.
OVERVIEW OF RESEARCH
Exploratory research
a presentation of preliminary, empirical
findings of the Uyghur diaspora and
their usage of Facebook with a focus
on Uyghur diaspora identity construction Examined emerging trends in identity
construction of diaspora Uyghurs as observed in Everyday Online Communication
Quantitative & Qualitative Content
Analysis of the user-generated Messages which are reflections of identities (Goffman, 1984; Hecht,1993; Hine, 2000)
Stage One quantitative content analysis Mapping : - Identified Facebook sites - Generated typology - Chose small number of samples.
Stage Two qualitative content analysis Interpretation of messages from
Facebook discussion archives- Identified emerged themes- Developed codes based on different
dimensions of identity.
Chosen Facebook Groups Generalist, Open for public Frequently updated everyday communication .
Empirical Findings
Express concerns on religious suppression
Express reliance on religion for maintaining ethnicity
Promoting Islamic knowledge
Use Islamic terminology – indicating nascent religious identity, not yet solidified
RELIGION WITHIN EVERYDAY COMMUNICATION ON FACEBOOK
“Kongzi had grow beard, why Uyghurs cannot?” The word “ 禁” means prohibited. Kongzi, also called KongFuzi: Confucius, (551–479 BC)
Characteristics of Uyghur Diaspora Religious Identity
Emerging, Under construction, Homeland orientated
Ascribed or Chosen Identity
Discontent with religious prohibitions
With strong ethnic links
RELIGION WITHIN EVERYDAY COMMUNICATION ON FACEBOOK
Empirical Findings
Mainly sharing political information about issues at homeland
Express discontent against the political regime
Fragmented political views and sentiments
Anxiety expressed over Chinese repression (self-censorship)
POLITICS WITHIN EVERYDAY COMMUNICATION ON FACEBOOK
Limitations & political fragmentation
– fear of expressing political identity
Raise the flag or not!
Do not: “Uyghurs will not want to take a photo with this flag on it, so let’s not set up the flag and do not make this social activity political”
Do: “we have to have clear goal towards the freedom of our mother land, the Uyghurs who do not want the flag can miss this picnic, and they are not welcomed”
Middle way: “do not set up the flag earlier so that Uyghurs are not to be frightened to join the picnic. Set it up when everyone arrived, so that the ones who are afraid of the flag cannot escape”
POLITICS WITHIN EVERYDAY COMMUNICATION ON FACEBOOK
Characteristics of Uyghur Diaspora Political Identity
Emerging, under construction, homeland orientated
Existing within political limitations
Weak alignment between political activists and general diaspora members
Political identity strongly focused on preservation of ethnicity/culture
POLITICS WITHIN EVERYDAY COMMUNICATION ON FACEBOOK
POLITICS AND RELIGION WITHIN EVERYDAY DISCOURSE ONLINE
Political Identity: Emerging political consciousness and identity No strong political participation No political mobilization
Religious identity: Much related to discontent with political restrictions imposed on
homeland Uyghurs by the Chinese government Religious identity closely connected with ethnic and cultural
preservation Rather than a highly politicised pan-Islamism, frequently caricatured in
both Western and Chinese media
Religious, political identities are subsumed beneath the ethnic identity
Everyday Facebook communication reveals the Uyghur diaspora identity has an emerging character strongly connected to ethnic and cultural preservation
The extent to which Facebook facilitates a strong diaspora identity construction is uncertain.
CONCLUSION
National Identity
Ethnic Identity
Political Identity
Religious Identity
Cultural Identity
Thank You for
Your Attention!Any Questions?
Presented by Giles Dodson and Rizwangul
This presentation is based on a research
“Identity Construction Online:
The use of Facebook by the Uyghur diaspora”
Uighur Language School in South AustraliaLike This Page · May 29 Like · · Share 40 people like this. 25 shares
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