Analysis of a Sociopolitically Progressive and Peer Produced Mass Entertainment Form: Injustice Framing in Chinese Web Novels

This study analyzes the progressive sociopolitical characteristics of a mass entertainment form, Chinese web novels (CWNs). CWNs are commercially successful, gaining a global audience, and peer produced. Through analyzing the coded plots of novels written by a sampled group of 200 influential authors, this study finds that ‘injustice frames’ are abundant in CWNs (Gamson 2013). These injustice frames feature protagonist fighting against class inequality, authoritarianism, and rural-urban discrimination. Contrast is made with other successful mass entertainment genres such as superheroes, fantasy, and crime, where injustice frames are seldom found. This study has five research objectives. Firstly, it challenges dominant understandings of the sociopolitical characteristics of mass popular culture. The Frankfurt School argues that mass popular culture is sociopolitically conservative. In opposition, cultural studies scholars find progressive meanings in non-mainstream popular cultural texts and argues that audiences proactively use mass popular cultural texts in a sociopolitically progressive way. The case of CWNs shows that mass popular culture can be sociopolitically progressive if it is peer produced. Secondly, this study offers new evidence to support evaluating online-based peer production as sociopolitically progressive (eg. Benkler). Current studies focus on peer production in information technology, this study’s extension of investigative scope to mass entertainment substantively strengthens this evaluation. Thirdly, this study develops an innovative method (ie focusing on injustice frames) that partly solves the ‘two cultures’ dilemma in contemporary sociology of literature. It retains classical sociology of literature’s emphasis on sociopolitical interpretation but also maintains empirical methodological rigor. Fourthly, this study formulates a fresh take on the ongoing debate on whether to characterize the Chinese internet as mainly a platform for democracy or ‘entertainment highway’— the success of CWNs suggests that the two characterizations are not necessarily mutually exclusive. Fifthly, this study critiques current research on CWNs for ignoring or misinterpreting these CWNs’ content.