Full metadata
Title
Globalize or Chinanize: a comparison of Facebook and Kaixin001
Description
Although the social network site (SNS) Facebook achieved great success around the world, in China, it was over taken by the local website Kaixin001. Using comparative analysis and interviews, this thesis compared the architecture of the two websites and Chinese users' attitude towards them. From one side, the result indicates that they are almost the same, but not quite. Kaixin001 is a copycat which adapts to local cultures and political regulations. From the other side, the research also highlights that people associate Kaixin001 with a game platform rather than a social tool. It suggests that there are two layers of digital divide: access and utilization. Chinese users can not get equal access because of the Great Firewall. At the same time, unlike western users, they are fond of playing games, listening music and other functions, rather than creating original content or building social capital. Therefore, the SNS utilization is not equal. Because of regulations and self-surveillance, their SNS use is enjoying the apolitical does not challenge the Chinese state. At the end of the thesis, the author points out the limitations of this research. As Internet-mediated qualitative research, this study lacks extended time and samples to explore the SNSs in global context. Further research is needed to collect extended samples. Moreover, the users' dependence on social network websites may be addressed to seek more comprehensive and deeper understanding of SNS.
Date Created
2011
Contributors
- Qin, Yuchun (Author)
- Wise, Greg (Thesis advisor)
- Kassing, Jeffrey (Committee member)
- Waldron, Vincent (Committee member)
- Mean, Lindsey (Committee member)
- Arizona State University (Publisher)
Topical Subject
Resource Type
Extent
viii, 76 p. : col. ill
Language
Copyright Statement
In Copyright
Primary Member of
Peer-reviewed
No
Open Access
No
Handle
https://hdl.handle.net/2286/R.I.9428
Statement of Responsibility
by Yuchun Qin
Description Source
Retrieved on Jan. 12, 2012
Level of coding
full
Note
Partial requirement for: M.A., Arizona State University, 2011
Note type
thesis
Includes bibliographical references (p. 59-65)
Note type
bibliography
Field of study: Communication studies
System Created
- 2011-08-12 05:07:49
System Modified
- 2021-08-30 01:51:16
- 2 years 8 months ago
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