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Network Power Construction in Micro Public Welfare 2.0: A Case Study of Tianjin Explosion

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The Internet Society in China

Part of the book series: Sociology, Media and Journalism in China ((SMJC))

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Abstract

Being an updated version of micro public welfare, the “micro public welfare 2.0” in Tianjin Explosion incident was launched and organized by ordinary netizens, showing the characteristic of grassroots without centers or organizations. The successful implementation of micro public welfare 2.0 suggests that ordinary individuals in the network age begin to embrace the unprecedented information power. Compared to the traditional power, the information power is more constructive, which is not derived from not only the positions or resources of the power subject but also the strategic actions embodied in the relational networks in the network space. The strategic actions are reflected in all links of micro public welfare 2.0 including the stimulation of identity, construction of the relational network and realization of the power influence.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Refer to Baidu Wikipedia on “8·12 Tianjin Binhai New Area Explosion”. Refer to https://baike.baidu.com/item/8·12天津滨海新区爆炸事故/18370029?fr=aladdin.

  2. 2.

    After Tianjin Explosion, many Internet users started to comment on “force donation” under the Weibo account of @Mayun - The Nature Conservancy. Some Internet users were fierce in their words and directly asked why Ma Yun did not donate. Some even called him Dad while criticizing Ma Yun. Ma Yun’s Weibo account crashed for a moment, and the comments under his account were entirely about “forcing donation”. Many Internet users accused Ma Yun by stating: “why don’t you donate to Tianjin”, “you should donate RMB 100 million as the richest man”, “your donation stands for my donation”, “if you don’t donate, I will never use Taobao again”. Refer to Netease news: Ma Yun was forced to donate to victims of Tianjin Explosion: why such a rich person as you don’t donate. Refer to http://news.163.com/15/0816/16/B15DQCGV00011229.html?bdsj, 20150816.

  3. 3.

    Refer to Ye Yuting, Xu Ye, firefighters fighting the fire in Tianjin Explosion: “we didn’t know the cause of the fire when we are sent there”. Refer to http://news.ifeng.com/a/20150814/44423078_0.shtml, 20150814.

  4. 4.

    Refer to Gui Tiantian, Quchang, A logistics warehouse in Tianjin Binhai New Area exploded, Beijing Youth Daily, 20150813.

  5. 5.

    Refer to Ye Yuting, Xuye, firefighters fighting the fire in Tianjin Explosion: “we didn’t know the cause of the fire when we are sent there”. Refer to http://news.ifeng.com/a/20150814/44423078_0.shtml, 20150814.

  6. 6.

    Refer to The whole city was sleepless after Tianjin Explosion: citizens voluntarily joined in rescue. Refer to http://news.sina.com.cn/c/20150813/064032198559.shtml, 20150813.

  7. 7.

    Refer to A Chinese puzzle for firefighting heroes. Refer to http://www.wtoutiao.com/p/s5eyzr.html, 20150814.

  8. 8.

    Refer to The coolest retrogradation in the world: the Weibo article forwarded in the largest amount in respect of Tianjin Binhai New Area Explosion. Refer to http://news.163.com/15/0813/16/B0TMUSAL00014AED.html, 20150813.

  9. 9.

    [US] Manuel Castells, The Rise of the Network Society, Beijing, Social Sciences Academic Press, 2001.

  10. 10.

    [US] Alvin Toffler, The Third Wave, Beijing, SDX Joint Publishing Company, 1983.

  11. 11.

    [Canada] Nico Stehr, Knowledge Societies, Shanghai, Shanghai Translation Publishing House, 1998.

  12. 12.

    [US] Nicholas Negroponte, Being Digital, Haikou, Hainan Publishing House, 1997.

  13. 13.

    Steve Jones, Cybersociety: Computer Mediated Communication and Community, CA: Sage Publications, 1995, p. 1.

  14. 14.

    Refer to [US] Mark Slouka, War of the Worlds: Cyberspace and the High-tech Assault on Reality, Nanchang, Jiangxi Education Publishing House, 1999.

  15. 15.

    Refer to [US] Charles Platt, Anarchy Online - The Conflict and Order in the Internet, Baoding, Hebei University Press, 1998.

  16. 16.

    [US] Manuel Castells, The Rise of the Network Society, Page 466–568, Beijing, Social Sciences Academic Press, 2001.

  17. 17.

    Refer to [US] Manuel Castells, The Power of Identity, Page 419, Beijing, Social Sciences Academic Press, 2006.

  18. 18.

    [US] Manuel Castells, editor-in-chief for The Network Society: A Cross-Cultural Perspective, Page 7–8, Beijing, Social Sciences Academic Press, 2009.

  19. 19.

    [US] Joseph Nye, Hard & Soft Power, Page 105, Beijing, Peking University Press, 2005.

  20. 20.

    Refer to Liu Shaojie, Changes in the Power Structure in the Networking Age, Jianghuai Tribune, 2011 (5).

  21. 21.

    Arendt believes that power arises from the establishment of communities, and the size of power depends not only on human’s action capability, but also on human’s capability to coordinate actions.

  22. 22.

    Refer to Guo Zhonghua, Transformation and Domination: Interpretation of Giddens’ Thought of Power, Academia Bimestris, 2004 (3).

  23. 23.

    Michel Foucault, Society Must Be Defended: Lectures at the College de France 19751976, St. Martin Press, 2003, p. 29.

  24. 24.

    Ibid., p. 28.

  25. 25.

    Refer to Song Chenting, Liu Shaojie, Network Mobilization: Challenges Faced by the Traditional Government Management Model, Social Science Research, 2014 (5).

  26. 26.

    Refer to Sun Xi, Research on the Meaning, Characteristics and Applications of WEB2.0, Journal of Modern Information, 2006 (2).

  27. 27.

    “Long tail” is often found in statistics. In economics, it mainly refers to the demand curve with quantity and types being parallel. The “long tail theory” was proposed by Chris Anderson. Refer to [US], Chris Anderson, The Long Tail, Beijing, CITIC Press Group, 2006.

  28. 28.

    Refer to Yang Zhao, Research on the Origin, Problems and Development Suggestions for Micro Public Welfare, Development Research, 2013 (11).

  29. 29.

    Refer to Chen Mingyu, Sootoo Research Institute: 2013 Analysis Report on We-Chat User Behavior, http://www.sootoo.com/content/426426.shtml

  30. 30.

    [US] Manuel Castells, The Power of Identity, Page 419, Beijing, Social Sciences Academic Press, 2006.

  31. 31.

    Refer to Liu Shaojie, Changes in the Power Structure in the Networking Age, Jianghuai Tribune, 2011 (5).

  32. 32.

    Melucci, Alberto, Challenging Codes: Collective Action in the Information Age, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996, p. 83.

  33. 33.

    Kurylo, Anastacia, “Linsanity: The Construction of (Asian) Identity in an Online New York Knicks Basketball Forum,” China Media Research, 2012 (8).

  34. 34.

    Smith-Lovin, Lynn, “The Strength of Weak Identities: Social Structural Sources of Self, Situation and Emotional Experience,” Social Psychology Quarterly, 2007 (2).

  35. 35.

    Wang, Wei-Ching etc., “Internet Use, Group Identity, and Political Participation among Taiwanese Americans, “China Media Research, 2009 (5).

  36. 36.

    Refer to Song Chenting, Perceptual Ideology Communication and Social Identity Construction in the Network Age, Journal of Anhui University (Philosophy and Social Sciences), 2015 (1).

  37. 37.

    Refer to Liu Shaojie, Changes in the Social Structure in the Networking Age, Academic Monthly, 2012 (10).

  38. 38.

    Liu Shaojie, The Social Foundation of the Trading Order in the Chinese Market, Sociological Review of China, 2014 (2).

  39. 39.

    Consensus mobilization refers to a form of mobilization that most people agree with. “Its purpose is widely supported by the entire population in a certain geographical community, and it is rarely or not subject to any organizational objection in the pursuit of social changes”. Refer to [US] John D. McCarthy, Mark Wolfson, Consensus Movements, Conflict Movements and Their Occupation of Infrastructure; refer to [US] Alton Morris and Carol McClurg Mueller as editors-in-chief, Frontiers in Social Movement Theory, Page 314–315, Beijing, Peking University Press, 2002.

  40. 40.

    Refer to [US] Joseph Nye, Hard & Soft Power, Page 152, Beijing, Peking University Press, 2005.

  41. 41.

    Refer to the article named “a girl born in 1992 lied about the death of her parents in Tianjin Explosion to deceive more than 3700 Internet users to reward her, and Zhang Jiajia posted a long article after being deceived.” Refer to http://fs.southcn.com/content/2015/08/14/content_130714184.htm, 20150814.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Literature and Law, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing, China

    Chenting Song

  2. Fujian Forum Magazine, Fujian Academy of Social Science, Fujian, China

    Fei Sun

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  1. Chenting Song
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Renmin University of China, Beijing, China

    Shaojie Liu

  2. Central University of Finance and Economics, Beijing, China

    Jianmin Wang

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Song, C., Sun, F. (2020). Network Power Construction in Micro Public Welfare 2.0: A Case Study of Tianjin Explosion. In: Liu, S., Wang, J. (eds) The Internet Society in China. Sociology, Media and Journalism in China. Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-8237-6_8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-8237-6_8

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