Chinese vloggers’ representations of sub-Saharan Africa on Douyin: An exploratory study

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Published: Jul 7, 2023
Keywords:
short videos Douyin China-Africa relations Africa's image racial image

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Isak Wang
Ann Wang

Abstract




User-generated media production can be influential in shaping racial images. In the past decades, sub-Saharan Africa’s relations with China have intensified. As transnational exchanges enter the age of short-video platforms, apps like Douyin have become the leading sites for Chinese people to produce and circulate images of sub-Saharan Africa. Though videos produced and shared online by Chinese vloggers featuring black performers have caused controversy and been under scrutiny in recent years, research on Africa-themed Chinese short videos is still lacking. In this paper, we present basic field research, map the main themes in popular videos related to Africa, and analyse representations of sub-Saharan Africa in these videos. Seeing how Black representations were skewed for Chinese audiences, we suggest that more Africa-centred perspectives are needed.




Article Details

How to Cite
Wang, I., & Wang, A. (2023). Chinese vloggers’ representations of sub-Saharan Africa on Douyin: An exploratory study. The Africa Governance Papers, 1(3). Retrieved from https://tagp.gga.org/index.php/system/article/view/40
Issue
Vol. 1 No. 3 (2023): Sovereignty in a multipolar world
Section
Research Articles
Author Biographies

Isak Wang

Isak Wang is an independent researcher based in Yunnan, China. Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, he started doing research on racism, xenophobia, global far- right movements, hate speech in social media, and how they find expression in the China-related context. By adopting a transnational perspective, he closely observes how racial discourses spread across continents, and how racial tensions are formed in Africa-China relations. As a supporter of Black Lives Matter and Stop AAPI Hate movements, he collaborates with a diverse group of activists and scholars to combat racial animosity. His other interests include gender studies and global history.

Ann Wang

Ann Wang is a researcher and data storyteller from China with a strong focus on Africa. She pursued a master’s degree in sociology, where her fascination with utilising data to study social issues began to flourish. During her time in Africa, she gained invaluable data skills through hands-on projects guided by experienced journalists and data storytellers from the continent. These experiences allowed her to enhance her storytelling abilities by employing data scraping, visualisation and analysis techniques to uncover hidden patterns and insights. Passionate about China-Africa relations, Ann seeks to bridge the information barrier caused by among others the geographical gap. With a unique blend of sociological expertise, self-taught technical skills, and a genuine passion for storytelling, she strives to empower marginalised voices and challenge prevalent narratives about Africa.

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