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27 Rurality, Gender, and Short-Video Platforms in China

  • Bingxi Huang
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De Gruyter Handbook of Digital Cultures
Ein Kapitel aus dem Buch De Gruyter Handbook of Digital Cultures

Abstract

This chapter examines Chinese rural women’s self-representation on short-video platforms such as Douyin and Kuaishou, using a multi-method approach, including textual analysis, in-depth interviews, participant observation and industry analysis. Drawing on Anna Tsing’s (2009) concept of supply-chain capitalism, I explore how rural women, as aspirational labor, are incorporated into digital capitalism, where their identities—shaped by structural issues such as the rural-urban divide—function as particularistic niches that shape both their visibility and precarious working conditions. This study also engages with concepts of micro-celebrity and self-branding, investigating how rural women commodify their rural womanhood within the attention economy of short-video platforms. Moving beyond the dichotomy of ‘empowerment or exploitation,’ this research centers rural women’s embodied experiences and offers a nuanced understanding of how they navigate tensions between authenticity and performativity, economic opportunity and precarity, as well as rurality and modernity in digital spaces.

Abstract

This chapter examines Chinese rural women’s self-representation on short-video platforms such as Douyin and Kuaishou, using a multi-method approach, including textual analysis, in-depth interviews, participant observation and industry analysis. Drawing on Anna Tsing’s (2009) concept of supply-chain capitalism, I explore how rural women, as aspirational labor, are incorporated into digital capitalism, where their identities—shaped by structural issues such as the rural-urban divide—function as particularistic niches that shape both their visibility and precarious working conditions. This study also engages with concepts of micro-celebrity and self-branding, investigating how rural women commodify their rural womanhood within the attention economy of short-video platforms. Moving beyond the dichotomy of ‘empowerment or exploitation,’ this research centers rural women’s embodied experiences and offers a nuanced understanding of how they navigate tensions between authenticity and performativity, economic opportunity and precarity, as well as rurality and modernity in digital spaces.

Kapitel in diesem Buch

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Contents V
  3. 1 Introduction: What Are Digital Cultures? 1
  4. Part I Methods and Approaches
  5. 2 On Methods 11
  6. 3 Digital Textuality 17
  7. 4 The Political Economy of Digital Media 23
  8. 5 Media Archaeology and Media Genealogy 33
  9. 6 Digital Ethnography 43
  10. 7 Prescriptive Media and Autoethnographies of the Self 61
  11. 8 Hybrid Space Revisited 75
  12. 9 Software Studies 83
  13. 10 Computer Programming as a Method for the Study of Digital Cultures 89
  14. 11 Decolonial Media Studies 97
  15. 12 Repair 115
  16. 13 Digital Ontology 123
  17. 14 Analyzing Digital Media Practices to Define Digital Media Literacy 133
  18. Part II Histories
  19. 15 History and Digital Cultures 145
  20. 16 Lessons from the Hologram 151
  21. 17 Information Theory and its Detractors 161
  22. 18 Interface 171
  23. 19 Barcodes and Digital/Physical Hybrids 181
  24. 20 Sharing 189
  25. 21 Advertising and Branding 197
  26. 22 Automation and Inequality 211
  27. Part III Identities
  28. 23 Digital Identities 225
  29. 24 Digital Culture and Race 235
  30. 25 The Digital Closet and Queer Community Online 245
  31. 26 Tactical Queer Identity in China 255
  32. 27 Rurality, Gender, and Short-Video Platforms in China 263
  33. 28 Digital Nomads 277
  34. 29 Boundaries of Digital Infrastructures in India 285
  35. 30 Sensual Ethos and Digital Intimacies in Brazilian Camming 295
  36. 31 Embodiment and Representation in Social VR 305
  37. 32 The Manosphere 313
  38. 33 Digital Hate 323
  39. Part IV Aesthetics
  40. 34 Digital Aesthetics and Collective Judgment 333
  41. 35 Screens and Power 341
  42. 36 Framing Digital Culture 351
  43. 37 Beyond the Frame 361
  44. 38 The Weird Internet and Speculative Knowledge 371
  45. 39 The Weirdness of Generative AI 387
  46. 40 Supercuts 397
  47. 41 Futurisms Beyond Western Cultural Imaginaries 407
  48. 42 Color in Digital Culture 419
  49. Part V Materialities and Infrastructures
  50. 43 The Materiality of the Digital 429
  51. 44 The Logistical Episteme 439
  52. 45 Degrowth and Digital Culture 455
  53. 46 Digital Modeling and the Climate Crisis 467
  54. 47 Telehealth 477
  55. 48 The Culture and Cultures of Twitch 483
  56. 49 Edge Computing 491
  57. 50 Humanoid Robots 497
  58. Index
https://doi.org/10.1515/9783111316857-027

Kapitel in diesem Buch

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Contents V
  3. 1 Introduction: What Are Digital Cultures? 1
  4. Part I Methods and Approaches
  5. 2 On Methods 11
  6. 3 Digital Textuality 17
  7. 4 The Political Economy of Digital Media 23
  8. 5 Media Archaeology and Media Genealogy 33
  9. 6 Digital Ethnography 43
  10. 7 Prescriptive Media and Autoethnographies of the Self 61
  11. 8 Hybrid Space Revisited 75
  12. 9 Software Studies 83
  13. 10 Computer Programming as a Method for the Study of Digital Cultures 89
  14. 11 Decolonial Media Studies 97
  15. 12 Repair 115
  16. 13 Digital Ontology 123
  17. 14 Analyzing Digital Media Practices to Define Digital Media Literacy 133
  18. Part II Histories
  19. 15 History and Digital Cultures 145
  20. 16 Lessons from the Hologram 151
  21. 17 Information Theory and its Detractors 161
  22. 18 Interface 171
  23. 19 Barcodes and Digital/Physical Hybrids 181
  24. 20 Sharing 189
  25. 21 Advertising and Branding 197
  26. 22 Automation and Inequality 211
  27. Part III Identities
  28. 23 Digital Identities 225
  29. 24 Digital Culture and Race 235
  30. 25 The Digital Closet and Queer Community Online 245
  31. 26 Tactical Queer Identity in China 255
  32. 27 Rurality, Gender, and Short-Video Platforms in China 263
  33. 28 Digital Nomads 277
  34. 29 Boundaries of Digital Infrastructures in India 285
  35. 30 Sensual Ethos and Digital Intimacies in Brazilian Camming 295
  36. 31 Embodiment and Representation in Social VR 305
  37. 32 The Manosphere 313
  38. 33 Digital Hate 323
  39. Part IV Aesthetics
  40. 34 Digital Aesthetics and Collective Judgment 333
  41. 35 Screens and Power 341
  42. 36 Framing Digital Culture 351
  43. 37 Beyond the Frame 361
  44. 38 The Weird Internet and Speculative Knowledge 371
  45. 39 The Weirdness of Generative AI 387
  46. 40 Supercuts 397
  47. 41 Futurisms Beyond Western Cultural Imaginaries 407
  48. 42 Color in Digital Culture 419
  49. Part V Materialities and Infrastructures
  50. 43 The Materiality of the Digital 429
  51. 44 The Logistical Episteme 439
  52. 45 Degrowth and Digital Culture 455
  53. 46 Digital Modeling and the Climate Crisis 467
  54. 47 Telehealth 477
  55. 48 The Culture and Cultures of Twitch 483
  56. 49 Edge Computing 491
  57. 50 Humanoid Robots 497
  58. Index
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Heruntergeladen am 22.9.2025 von https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/9783111316857-027/html
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