While digital platforms have reconfigured the institutions and practices of cultural production around globe, current research is dominated by studies that take as their reference point Anglo-American world--and, to a lesser extent--China (Cunningham & Craig 2019; Kaye et al. 2021; Poell Zhao 2019). Aside from totalizing theories platform imperialism (Jin, 2013), “rest world” has thus received relatively scant attention. Consequently, central concepts in study platform-based bear strong...

Contrasting existing scholarship in ‘socialism with Chinese characteristics’, this article builds on the theorisation of infrastructural capitalism as an emerging global-capitalist project entangled both China’s state-socialist ideology and latest nationalistic revitalisation agenda, serving political commercial goals, yet also rendering discontent resistance daily business employment practices. Through participant observation across 13 Alibaba departments or subsidiaries, semi-structured...

Aiming to disrupt the way fashion studies is developed – often from a Eurocentric approach and within rigid disciplinary, methodological social boundaries this Special Issue invites different scholars present their own of studying exploring fashion, but also make familiar methods strange, re-assessing what means it do research in first place. Promoting an interdisciplinary dialogue, articles show how would benefit ‘bending’ existing blending cross-disciplinary methodologies, conceptual...

Research on platforms and cultural production is dominated by studies that take the Anglo-American world Northwestern Europe as their main points of reference. Central concepts in field, consequently, bear imprint Western institutions, practices, ideals. Critically responding to this state affairs, opening essay special issue Global Perspectives Platforms Cultural Production, consisting 20 articles, aims to: 1) challenge universalism, 2) provincialize US, 3) multiply our frames Pursuing...

While the processes of production and consumption are increasingly interrelated in society, there is a bourgeoning literature on consumers’ increased power through prosumption process its evolutions manifestations various industries, markets social contexts. This article challenges theoretical assumption that all types ‘prosumers’ become directly empowered by digital technology or have an equal opportunity to participate Web 2.0. By extending Ritzer’s reconceptualised idea beyond Global...

This research challenges the growing theoretical Global North–South divide and refines an ‘ex-centric’ theorisation of creative labour in context increasingly monopolising but competitive capitalism Asia. While it argues that job insecurity is not just a universal, objective condition, varying, subjective experiences anxiety dissatisfaction for workers, we adopt pluralist epistemological approach identify nuanced intersections among key global, local, sectoral trends – increased use digital...

While existing studies assert that citizens actively use digital media to exert their political agency, the various roles and impacts of should be further unpacked. Building on notions ‘digital democratic affordance’ ‘cross-platform play’, this article uniquely theorises consumerism as a multi-scalar mode human–non-human interactions. The concept cross-platform affordances is formulated demonstrate how different platforms – large or small, corporate amateur, global local co-constitute an...

Previous research on fashion, clothing and accessorising practices typically stressed either the symbolic identity-creating or practical habitual functions of often neglecting its affective, emotive mnemonic aspects. Drawing affective theory agency things, we theorise how affects, feelings emotions attached to active inactive fashion objects evoke are evoked by consumer’s ongoing reminiscence, reconciliation, renewal memories. Remapping intricate relationship among consumers, memory, affect,...

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore snacking behavior and perspectives on healthy unhealthy food choices among adolescents in Mainland China. Design/methodology/approach Four focus-group interviews were conducted. Altogether 24 participants recruited Changsha, a second-tier city China, through convenience sampling process. They asked report their behaviors, identify whether certain snacks are or elaborate factors affecting choices. Findings Snacking was prevalent the...

Despite the importance today of global production networks in linking international division labour between Global North and South, workers such receive relatively little attention from those interested sociology work. This study applies Glucksmann’s concept ‘socio-economic formations labour’ to understand as an instituted economic process that helps perpetuate uneven capitalism, reveals a specific configuration macro- micro-scale China’s garment sector. We argue agency is productive factor...

This article focuses on the questions of academic freedom, scholar activism, public science, and social engagement. The five authors represent scholars from different disciplines scientific paradigms as well diverse gender, sexual orientation, nationality, ethnic, class backgrounds, yet they share a joint passion for 'activism'. paper, therefore, reflects multitude transdisciplinary perspectives positionalities. dialogue was born out group's desire to investigate role scientists in political...

In contrast to the infrastructural properties of Western media platforms aiming at market power expansion, digital platform model in China is designed and developed with a techno-nationalist agenda. case Hong Kong, we look into how exactly platformisation process restructures interacts its surrounding cultural, economic, political social activities. This article contributes Creative Labour Studies by analysing intricate linkages between city’s unique socio-historical, technological...

Has China become a neo-colonizer, exporting its cultural and economic power to the world based on agenda of building soft power? Existing scholarship neocolonialism data colonialism largely focuses how China's infrastructural expansion increasingly platformised sectors can achieve ambitious overseas. Yet, is manifested, negotiated, or resisted in people's daily lives South–South setting remains under-researched under-theorised. This article uses everyday fashion Kenya as case study...

'Utopia or dystopia – to where will the "digital revolution" lead human society?' is a question that remains unanswered. Negotiating between two opposing standpoints, this article, looking at form of trans-border activism originally driven by suicides and protests Foxconn workers who produce iPhones, iPads, many other i-gadgets for world's consumers, an attempt explore politics online offline resistance against anti-digital capitalism. Based in Hong Kong (HK), SACOM leftist student group...

Previous research on the corporate culture construction in China primarily highlights how Chinese firms draw its traditional and socialist heritages as two crucial intellectual resources. The highly marketised high-tech sector with declining employment security changing political environment renders a new context dual process for ‘engineering’ of China’s platform economy. An ethnographic study Alibaba unveils resources management draws to construct culture, including not only founder’s...

To not only celebrate the launch of this double special issue, but also to shine a spotlight on variety China as Method epistemological approaches shared by issue’s editors and authors, Chinese University Hong Kong’s Kong Institute Asia Pacific Studies, Amsterdam’s Media Studies Department, Global China, co-organised hybrid symposium generate intellectual exchanges such de-westernising mode knowledge production. While research articles in issue extensively examine ‘distinct’ characteristics...

In meeting the changing demands of authenticity and visibility in social media, performances identity connections are discussed to entail new sociotechnical labours digital literacies. Research has looked into construction presentation celebrity identities, light these developments, but paid little attention on celebrities’ experiences perspectives, which is also due lack willingness industry insiders this culturally sensitive business be interviewed genuinely talk about its problems. Twelve...

The changing global landscape of imperialism, colonialism, and globalisation has urged scholars to reflect on reexamine the lingering Eurocentric epistemology in media cultural studies, sociology, anthropology, area other disciplines. epistemological biases which currently exist these academic disciplines hinder development a bottom-up theorisation thorough understanding social phenomena. Recently, beyond South have become more attentive inadequacy model theorisation, idiosyncrasies local...

Extending critical luxury studies to a non-Western context, this article, using Burberry and other Western brands as examples, theorises how the temporal-spatial subjectivity of homosexual Hong Kong male consumers is constituted through intersections British colonial history, nostalgia, media, their personal professional background, gender, social class, emotional experiences. Using consumer-focused anthropological perspective, we analyse subjective, context-specific, interwoven experiences...

This paper examines the social construction of 'fashionability' – namely, what is 'desirable' and 'fashionable' with reference to concept 'cultural mediators' that foregrounds agency, negotiation contested practices market actors in cultural production. It zeroes on attitudes positions two markets by drawing 25 in-depth interviews industry veterans. shows mediators South Korea China increasingly occupy hybrid occupational roles across industries sectors yet achieve limited success countering...

Fashion plays a significant role in the global creative industries and urban social space, has recently evolved from peripheral topic to valued interdisciplinary subject coined as “fashion-ology,” investigating how fashion an intangible changeable meaning is systematically produced by amongst different cultural intermediaries, it cyclically diffused society. As exercise understanding conflictual notions of operation under rubric production inside local media organization, this study...

Practice theoretical approaches in consumption studies centre practices over practitioners, the material and mundane symbolic embodied skill individual choice. Pointing to practice theory’s neglect of role intersubjectivity deeply interactional character performances formation, this article relies on interviews with young urban consumers China Romania explore dress two postsocialist locales consumers’ pursuit ‘the good life’. We reflect intertwining moral project grounded both materiality...

Abstract The rise of fashion businesses in mainland China and Hong Kong the growth their brands is attracting attention international conglomerates. For this article recent case studies socio-historical, economic cultural influences Greater region were revisited applying communication, media theories. Observation interviews conducted an attempt to reveal nuanced process communication Kong’s industry. primary research data collected through participant observation at a magazine 2011 which...

Abstract By revisiting relevant literature and case studies, this article first outlines Euro-American fashion media’s influence on the development of Chinese media industry. The participant field research created chances for interviews with sixteen insiders from 2011 to 2013. Apparently, Hong Kong journalists take a pessimistic view local Mainland personnel, by contrast, an optimistic industry’s potential in China. interview data suggest that such contradictory visions may arise differing...