Symbolic Convergence Theory and

Analysis of Online Discussion

� QUALITATIVE RESEARCH IN WEB 2.0

ASIA-PACIFIC, Macau, Feb 25, 2011

� Wu Mei, PhD

� Associate Professor

� Department of Communication

� University of Macau

Objectives

� Conceptualizing the nature of online discussion as a transitional and dynamic content which is created through an individually initiated networkof interactive group communication;

� Demonstrating how Symbolic Convergence Theory (SCT) analysis is conducted in uncovering an interactive process of rhetoric vision creation among online discussants;

� Evaluating the application of computer-aided qualitative research tools in the SCT analysis

Dynamic content

� Online discussion is a particular type of mediated-content generated through a variety of social media:

� Individually generated

� Improvised

� Interactive

� Open inference

� Transitional

� Dynamic

� In contrast, this type of content is different from other mediated content known as traditional mass media content which

� Institutionally generated

� Well structured

� Non-interactive

� Controlled inference

� Fixed

� Static

Analyzing dynamic content

� Methods commonly used in analyzing

traditional media content

� Quantitative:

� Content analysis

� Frame analysis

� Qualitative

� Discourse analysis

Symbolic Convergence Theory (SCT)

� SCT is often used in analyzing group

communication

� It describes dynamic tendencies in the

systems of social interaction

� It focuses on the symbolic and shared process of group discourse in generating

meanings

� It uncovers fantasy themes collectively

created and entertained in group discussion

Symbolic Convergence Theory (SCT)

Setting

Character

Action

Sanction Agent

Fantasy Theme

Rhetoric

Vision

User

User

User

User

User

User

User

Case study 1

� Debating China-India Relations on the Internet: Netizens’ Dialogue for Constructive International Politics

� Focusing on the first cross-country online debate on

Sino-Indo relations, the “Sino-Indo Internet Users Debate Contest”, which was organized by Global

Times, one of the most popular newspapers in China

on Dec 1, 2009, the study applies Fantasy Theme

Analysis (FTA) and identifies two rhetoric visions and

related key elements in the debate including: fantasy themes, setting themes, action themes, plotlines etc

First Sino-Indo Internet Users

Debate Contest� It was launched at

20:00 on Dec 1,

2009 by Global Times (GT), one of

the most popular

newspapers in

China. The debate

lasted for 2 hours. 21 debaters spoke

with 123 postings.

Debate structure

� Moderators, debaters and participants:� Super Moderator� Sergeant� Debaters� Participants can only

speak in another thread set specifically for the audience

� Rules of the Debate Contest:� Insulting words are

forbidden � If any debater insults

others seriously, we'll directly cancel his qualification;

� Only contents on the debate topic are permitted;

� Members who are not debaters are not allowed to post in the "Debate contest thread“

Debate structure

� Two additional

platforms at the

same time:

� Special Thread for

Debate supporters

【中印网友友谊辩论

� Chinese translation

(中印网友辩论赛火

翻译贴)

Partners or competitors

� The theme of the debate:

� Are China and India competitors or partners?

� By lot, the Chinese team was for “Partners”

� The Indian team for “Competitors”

� Three debaters: Luke, Victor Cao and

Tarunraju were awarded the “Best Debaters”

prize after the debate.

Argumentation structure

� Partners� Supportive argument (Chinese)

� Commonness

� Long history of civilization

� Suffering under western domination

� Developing countries� Rising opportunities� Cultural/technological exchange in

history� Common tasks (domestic): better life

for their own people� Common responsibilities (world):

better world� Common interests� Common enemies

� India needs China's cooperation to develop the economy

� For the purpose of catching up with developed countries

� Cooperation is a world trend

� Win-win situation

� Opposing argument (India)

� Cooperation occurs only in

Strong/Weak; Equally Strong

� Economic ties have a negative

impact on India

� China is hostile to India

� Cooperation means India giving

up part of its land

� Cooperation is costly for India

� Cooperation likes a marriage

which needs treaties

Argumentation structure

� Competitors

� Supportive (India)

� Constructive competition is good

� Competition is a driving force

� Competition is exciting

� Healthy competition is good

� Opposing (Chinese)

� No time & energy for competition

� Vicious competition is bad

� Other powers will take advantage of the competition between China and India

� Win-lose situation

Contentions and defense

� India's contention (of China)� China fears India's rise

� Blocking ADB's loan to India

� Kashmiri visa

� Supporting Pakistan

� Gwadar Port

� China's opposition at NSG

� Opposing India's seat at UNSC as a permanent member

� Not treating India equally as India treats China

� Tibet vs Kirshmiri� Tibet-Xinjinag vs

Pakistan� Support Beijing Olympics

� Chinese defense� Not fear of India if India

rises peacefully

� It involves a disputed region

� No interference in Kashmiri

�

� Rumours

�

� No other UNSC permanent members support it

� China also accommodating� Initially stopped the 1962

war

Contentions and defense

� China's contention (of India)

� Supporting Dalai Lama who’s engaged in sabotage against China

� Used by US to contain China

� Housing terrorists

� Not signing the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT or NNPT)

� India's defense

� Dalai Lama is a refugee, and India does not permit him to stage political activities against China in India.

Fantasy Theme Analysis

Chinese

debaters

Rhetoric vision Fantasy theme Setting Characters Action

Sanction

Agent

Master

AnalogueChina and India are like

brothers in a family. It's

natural that a

partnership between

the two will benefit both

China and India

have a lot in

common Ancient history China, India Buddhism in China

Harmony, peace,

win-win Social, practical

China, India

Sugar operation,

papermaking to India

Modern history

Westerners

(villains)

China and India suffered

under western domination

Current stage

China, India as

developing

countries Both are rising

Westerners

(villains)

Happy to see China and

India fight and both fail

Partnership

beneficial for both Bilateral trade China, India Growth in trade volume

Economic

development China, India

Improvement for people's

lives

Fantasy Theme Analysis

Indian debaters

Rhetoric vision Fantasy theme Setting Characters ActionSanction

Agent

Master

Analogue

China has an

ego which is

threatened by

India

China is hostile

to India UN China China's objection

Reciprocal

relation,

mutual

respect Social

NSG China China's objection

ADB China China's block

Pakistan China China's support

Kashmiri China

China issues

different visa

India is more

accommodating Tibet Dalai Lama

Not allow him to

launch political

activities

Beijing

Olymincs India Support

Tibet/Xinjiang India

Not support

separatists' forces

Key words and phrases

� Chinese debaters

� Two sincere brothers

in a family

� Two poor brothers

� Indian friends

� Team work situation

� Solve our conflicts in a

friendly manner

� China is always

reaching out with an

olive branch

� Peaceful rising

� Indian debaters

� Asymmetric

partnership

� Hostile

� Threat

� Chinese ego

� Weaker competitor

� They are wrongly

feeling threatened by a small power

Images: Chindia?

Case 2

� Rhetoric visions of China during Beijing

Olympics in discussions of online

communities of ASEAN countries

� Singapore

� Malaysia

� Thailand

Symbolic Convergence AnalysisFantasy Type

China is a cruel despot who enslaves its people and fools the whole world with lies to

glorify China itself.

lip-synch Fake ethnic children Forced gym training

Setting

Theme Open Ceremony

The “Bird's Nest”

Open Ceremony

The “Bird's Nest”

Junior gymnasts training in

China

Character

Theme

1. The red-dressed girl as

a fake singer

2. The real singer as a

casualty was supported

3. China as the liar was

criticized

1. The fake ethnic children

2. China as the liar was

criticized

3. People of the world were fooled

1. Young gymnasts as casualty

were commiserated

2. China as the devil was

accused

3. America was hero compare

with China

Action

Theme

China fakes: the little girl

play in the open ceremony

was not the real singer in

order to glorify China

itself.

China fakes: that the ethnic

children in the open

ceremony were not real

ethnic people

China forced children to take

the gym training to cultivate

gymnasts

Sanction

Agent Value of truth Value of truth Human right

Table 1: the constructed fantasy type

China fakes

Fantasy theme 1

The China rejects

Setting Theme The Olympics arena for table tennis

Character Theme China-born Singaporean athletes as China’s rejects were

abominated for their “avarice”

Action Theme

China-born athletes got an Olympic medal for Singapore.

But it was considered as a “fake medal”. Netizens didn’t like

those China-born athletes because they were thought had no

any adherence to Singapore. Their motivation is just money.

Sanction Agent Loyalty to nation

Table 2: fantasy theme I

Fantasy theme 2China is Competitor

SgForum.com MalaysiaToday.com

Setting Theme

Singapore government’s

investment to imported foreign

talents

National economic

development

Character Theme

1. The imported Chinese

athletes as enemy

2. Local athletes should be

given more support

1. Chinese migrants as

competitors were shown

hostility

2. China as potential enemy

Action Theme

Chinese immigrant athletes

seized the resources of local

athletes. It makes local

netizens feel angry and

worried about it

China and Chinese migrant

is showing a stronger and

stronger power in effecting

the economy of the country.

It makes local people worry

that they may “take over” the

country.

Sanction Agent The due rights and welfare of the nationals

Table 3: fantasy theme II

Fantasy theme 3

China is the cultural root

Setting Theme 1. Family ancestry places in China

2. The migration of Chinese in the earlier time

Character Theme

1. The father or grandfather generations of local ethnic

Chinese who came from China

2. Chinese immigrants in earlier times in general

Action Theme The father or grandfather generations of netizens came from

China, settled and lived there for generations in SE Asia.

Sanction Agent Respect parents & cultural roots

Table 4: fantasy theme III

Fantasy theme 4

Chinese are “Jews of the East”

Setting Theme

1. No concrete place but throughout the SE Asia

2. The historical development of SE Asia.

3. The development of the country today and before

Character Theme

1. China as an investor brought in wealth and chance

2. Chinese migrants as constructors of the country, hard

working and brilliant

3. China and Chinese are avaricious. They are enemies who

seized the resources of local people.

Action Theme

1. Chinese migrants contributed a lot to the economic

development of SE Asian countries

2. China cooperates with SE Asia and makes huge

investment to this area.

Sanction Agent Avarice is villainous. China

and Chinese are dangerous.

The ability of making money

is great. China and Chinese

can help locals for better

development.Table 5: fantasy theme IX

CAQDAS

� We found it difficult to use currently available

CAQDAS tools for such interactive analysis

as they are all based on dealing with long

files, but not one line messages.

Nvivo example:

� Initial data is organized as Cases

� Individual posting a case?

� For interactive content, it is infeasible and unnecessary to have every posting organized as a case

� Individual user as a case?

� This will eliminate the initial interactive pattern of discussion in the primary data. To study dynamics, it is important to retain the data in its initial interactive pattern

� Postings in one standard period as a case?

� It does not make sense for further analysis in Nvivo

� We finally used Excel to conduct the analysis

� Q & A

� Thank You

Presented at the Asia-Pacific conference on

Computer-Aided Qualitative Research

24 & 25 Feb 2011, Macau SAR

For more information about our upcoming conferences

Please visit: http://www.merlien.org