Mainstream Ideology Research Articles

Research on Macao Study Tour Policy and Cross-strait Cultural Construction on the Macao Local Government Cultural Industry—Taking the “Ten Thousand Persons Plan”

The development of Macao's study tour policy is closely related to the cultural industry. Its evolution has enriched cultural experience, promoted exchanges, and driven the coordinated development of the cultural tourism industry from "national education" to "national education + tourism". This study uses intergroup contact theory to thematically analyze 28 respondents' views on cross-strait relations and cross-strait culture. The results show that the study tour can promote exchanges between young people in Mainland China, Hong Kong SAR, Macao SAR and Taiwan Region; it can also directly meet the ideal conditions for intergroup communication mentioned by Allport, and have a positive impact on mainstream ideology and national identity. However, the government can create a cross-strait study tour circle. This circle can provide a better platform for strengthening indirect contacts between different regions. It makes up for the lack of direct contact conditions (spatial distance). This study fills the gap in the literature on enhancing cultural integration, identity construction, and cultural policy impacts among cross-strait youth through study tours, thereby providing a deeper understanding of the cultural relations between mainland China, the Macao SAR, and Taiwan region.

The Development of the Structure of Feeling in the Brazilian Liberation Theology Movement

Raymond Williams’s concept of the “structure of feeling” aims to describe the shared experiences, attitudes, and emotions of social groups at specific historical moments. However, this theory has been criticized for lacking a rigorous theoretical framework, clear definitions, and boundaries, as well as for failing to adequately explain its interaction with mainstream ideology. This paper attempts to address these issues through the lens of the Brazilian Liberation Theology movement. The “structure of feeling” established by Brazilian Liberation Theology departed from the traditional hierarchical system of the Church, aligning itself instead with emerging cultures and the practices of grassroots church communities. Under the repression of the military government, the mainstream Church began to accept certain aspects of Liberation Theology rather than viewing it solely as radical and threatening. Although Liberation Theology gradually waned after the fall of the military regime, its adjusted “structure of feeling”—devoid of its radical elements but still focused on social justice and poverty—profoundly impacted the global Catholic Church. The experience of the Brazilian Liberation Theology movement illustrates that a “structure of feeling” can transcend the dichotomy between consciousness and materiality and the crux lies in individuals discovering and asserting their own existence; such a “structure of feeling” can either emerge from within existing ideologies or challenge them directly; its relationship with mainstream ideology is significantly shaped by specific historical contexts; certain facets of emerging emotions are selectively incorporated into mainstream ideology, typically in ways that mitigate their more radical implications.

‘Worthy survivors’ of domestic violence in the eyes of the Beijing courts

AbstractThis article builds on Paige Sweet's conceptualization of ‘worthy survivors’ in the United States context and adds a consideration of judicial discretion to define who were considered worthy survivors of domestic violence in the eyes of the Beijing courts in 2021 and 2022. After analysing judges’ decisions in civil judgments and civil orders, the article concludes that worthy survivors were those who described how their abusers challenged legal authorities or disturbed public order, submitted multiple external documents with a clear description of the domestic violence, or mentioned children as direct survivors of physical child abuse committed in public. By contrast, survivors with limited capacity for civil conduct (generally due to schizophrenia) were marginalized and treated as ‘unworthy’. This article contributes to our understanding by addressing how crafting stories in line with mainstream ideology in the specific society helped survivors to achieve institutional recognition.

The Evolution and Mainstreaming of Subcultures:Challenges and the Pursuit of Harmonious Coexistence

With the rise of consumer culture, the diversification of personal identity needs, and the strong influence of social media, niche subcultures are gradually developing towards mass popularization. This article delineates the definitions of subculture articulated by scholars across different eras, exploring subculture’s true essence and its gradual evolution into a “cultural mosaic” and penetration into mainstream culture. Combined with the statistics on the number of views of subculture content on social media, this paper reveals the widespread popularity of contemporary subculture. However, further investigation reveals various challenges and issues subcultures face, both internal and external, in mainstreaming, including social stereotypes, legal restrictions, conflicts with mainstream ideologies, and the inherent exclusivity of subcultures. Moreover, mainstreaming subcultures has introduced a series of negative effects, such as cultural alienation, the loss of original spirit and values due to commercialization, and the dilution and erosion of cultural essence. These phenomena pose a potential threat to the uniqueness of subcultures.

A critical discourse study of cultural and national identity (re)construction in Taiwanese high school EFL textbooks

ABSTRACT In foreign language textbooks, cultural representations embedded in texts and images not only facilitate the acquisition of linguistic knowledge but also construct ethnic or political identities. Over the past century, the mainstream ideology in Taiwan has changed due to the rotation of ruling parties and generational shifts. This change is also evident in contemporary English-as-a-Foreign-Language textbooks. In light of this emerging issue, this study employed critical discourse analysis to examine three sets of textbooks that are widely used in high schools in Taiwan. The study reveals that textbooks produced in Taiwan generally: (1) highlight the indigenous culture of the island, (2) extensively depict contemporary Taiwanese celebrities, specialties, and natural landscapes, (3) embellish the period of Japanese and Dutch-Spanish colonisation, and (4) strategically differentiate between ‘China/Chinese’ and ‘Taiwan/Taiwanese’. The findings expose the Taiwan-centric perspective of the textbooks while downplaying the significance of the national title – ‘the Republic of China’.

A Critical Appreciation of the Commercial Blockbusters by Zhang Yimou

It is essential to note that for the past two decades the majority of the Fifth Generation directors have experienced an obvious shift of film-making from art cinema to the production of commercial blockbusters. By means of borrowing Hollywood’s “high concept” cinema, the local blockbusters featuring Chinese cultural elements are very emphatic about symbolism and visual effects of productions that are bringing to the audience new and stirring feel. And in the blockbusters of Chinese style, the stardom and renowned directors are the guaranteed success of box office. In terms of thematic subjects, the representative director Zhang Yimou has with certainty showcased his reflections on the unlimited power hierarchy and the impulse to deconstruct it in his works, which contain social and cultural allegories and morality problems of family. The so-called “commercial blockbusters” as <i>Hero</i> and <i>House of Flying Daggers</i> have utilized the unique on-site shooting and color effects to achieve the desired results. At the same time Zhang Yimou has in his art house works benefited from Akira Kurosawa, master of the genre, and some technicalities in gangster film. Zhang’s blockbusters of swordsman and Wuxia (martial art) have made an immense box value owing to their tactic violation of the mainstream ideologies. As a result, they are not regularly categorized as the most significant movie of the day. Being Zhang’s last blockbuster, <i>Curse of the Golden Flower </i>takes advantage of merging spectacular scenes and artificial staging for the purpose of authentic representation and imagination. This is also materialized by his cleverly adapting the original work of fame by Cao Yu, a contemporary playwright. Zhang Yimou’s blockbusters, with his special aesthetic, has largely succeeded in an economic sense, but failed ideologically to merge in the mainstream cinema of China.

Exploring the Radical Potential of Queer AZN and Pasifika CRT for Clinical Social Work Praxis

ABSTRACT In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the crisis in Palestine, and the continued rise in hate crimes against Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities, clinical social work praxis centering on the intersectional identities of queer and transgender AAPI communities has never been more vital. Through the visioning of an approach that addresses these intersecting identities and our own experiences with racism, cisheterosexism, and transphobia, we propose a theoretical framework, Queer AZN and Pasifika Critical Race Theory (CRT), for clinical social work praxis. Specifically, we describe six tenets of a Queer AZN and Pasifika CRT approach, which include (1) Queer, Brown Asianization; (2) Challenging mainstream ideologies about Asians, Pacific Islanders, Queer and Transgender Pacific Islanders, and Queer and Transgender Asian Americans; (3) Global, decolonial perspectives; (4) Re-constructive histories; (5) Multidisciplinary story, practice, praxis, and voice; and (6) a Social Justice perspective. We present cases as an opportunity to explore and reflect on clinical social work practice with queer and trans AAPI people through the lens of Queer AZN and Pasifika CRT.

Research on the Forming of Mainstream Ideology Among College Students in the Era of “Short Video”

Short videos, with their micro, fragmented, and diversified narrative methods, are profoundly changing the behavior and thinking patterns of users, and the mainstream ideological battlefield has been unprecedentedly impacted. The short video platform magnifies the characteristics of information dissemination in the Internet era. All users are both content publishers and content receivers, and the amount and speed of information dissemination are growing geometrically. Secondly, on the basis of producing a large number of short videos of the main theme, technological changes are utilized to fully improve the acceptance and interpretive power of the main theme ideology, providing a practical path for shaping the mainstream ideological identity of college students.

The Threefold Logic of Integrating Digital Intelligence Technology into the Construction of Chinese Mainstream Ideology

In the era of digital intelligence, the construction of Chinese mainstream ideology faces new opportunities and challenges, which can be further explored through theoretical analysis, practical application, and real-life experiences. From a theoretical perspective, Marxism’s examination of the relationship between science, technology, and ideology along with Frankfurt School’s theory on science and technology ideology serve as valuable references. In terms of reality, integrating digital intelligence technology into China’s ideological construction is both feasible and necessary. Moreover, there exists a mutual need between digital intelligence technology and China’s ideological construction. As for practice, we can focus on strengthening party leadership, emphasizing value guidance, optimizing system design, improving legal frameworks to illuminate the path towards integrating digital intelligence technology into the development of China’s mainstream ideology.

Kartini, Online Media, and the Politics of the Jokowi Era: A Critical Discourse Analysis

ABSTRACT The indigenous education activist and feminist of the late Dutch colonial era, R.A. Kartini, has remained an enduring public icon for more than a century. While celebrated as a national hero in Indonesia, like many iconic women of the Global South, Kartini’s symbolic force has been readily appropriated for political ends. As a ‘floating signifier’, her image absorbs fluctuating meanings and ideologies, making the analysis of her representation at a given point in time a valuable approach to political analysis. This article focuses on Kartini’s portrayal in the second term of the Jokowi presidency in mainstream Indonesian online media discourse. Recognising the dialectical relationship between the online news media and dominant political discourse, we use critical discourse analysis to identify and examine the mainstream ideologies embedded in the news media’s representations of Kartini. Our analysis provides a snapshot of dominant Indonesian political discourse, revealing a set of intersecting ideologies: conservative feminism, neoliberalism, softened Islamic piety, and perfunctory nationalism.

Orphans of the Orissa Famine: Capital, Charity, and Coercion in the Missionary System

Some of the most profound effects Britain imposed on society in Orissa, India came as a result of the missions that formed the majority of the protective infrastructure during the Orissa famine. Shortly after the British began their occupation of Orissa, a network of Protestant Christian missions based in England began to move into the region. Leadership came from the Christian Missionary Society, an Evangelical Anglican group, as well as Baptist figures such as Rev. J. Buckley. Their move was difficult, and for many years unsuccessful. However, the British East India Company and the Raj that followed it would pave the way for an increase in mission power through their laissez-faire policies of ignoring preexisting infrastructure and discontinuing preexisting social support systems. The missions, through their network of periodical publications, were then able to position themselves as a charitable counterpoint to the mainstream ideology of free markets at the time. In 1865, when a harvest failed as a result of British lack of infrastructure maintenance, the Protestant mission network’s opportunity arrived. The famine left many children without caretakers, and the missions, having begun a precedent of taking in orphans, became one of the only options for these children. The missions completed their takeover after the British first refused to acknowledge the famine, and then offered an ineffective response. The mission takeover quickly became so complete that secular authorities turned those seeking to give charity to the missions, since missions were some of the only organizations with a history of working directly with people in the region. The lives and identities of these famine orphans formed a microcosm of the changes to Orissa over the course of the Orissa famine.

Instinct, Suprresion and Catharsis: The Psychological Source and Guidance of Teenagers' Network Ideology in the Era of Big Data

The unique educational attributes of the big data era can not only improve the audience's acceptance effect, but also accelerate the overall process of achieving ideological security education goals, playing a certain role in maintaining the unity of youth's thinking and daily behavior. Youth are the "core indigenous people" in the field of the Internet. Big data and mobile communication have brought new changes to the lifestyle and values of young people. In an era full of data, linking big data with life, work, and education is a contemporary issue that we should pay attention to and think about. The purpose of this study is to explore the psychological sources and guidance methods of adolescent online ideology in the era of big data. Firstly, through literature analysis and empirical research, we found that psychological factors such as instincts, repression, and venting among adolescents have a significant impact on their online ideology. Secondly, we utilized methods such as questionnaire surveys and in-depth interviews to explore the relationship between different psychological sources and online ideology. Finally, we propose a series of targeted guidance strategies, including enhancing self-awareness, cultivating a healthy mindset, and improving network literacy, to help teenagers establish the correct network ideology. It is necessary to strengthen the self-management awareness of teenagers, cultivate targeted opinion leaders, strengthen online supervision, establish and improve a risk prevention mechanism for online ideology, and promote mainstream ideology.

Main Theme, New Vehicle: The Educational Value of Science Fiction Movies — Taking the Wandering Earth Ⅱ as an Example

As a new type of melodramatic film in recent years, melodramatic science fiction films are not only novel in subject matter and loved by the audience and widely disseminated, but also play an important role in publicizing the national mainstream ideology and values. Combining it with youth value education not only has the theoretical fit in terms of value orientation, education mode, education content, and target audience, but also has the application value of enriching classroom content, adapting to fragmented learning, and enhancing the participation and initiative of young people. This paper takes the movie “The Wandering Earth Ⅱ” as an example to analyze the theoretical connotation and application value of realizing melodramatic science fiction movies in youth values education, and proposes a possible practical path for the organic integration of the two.

Mediatization of Religion and Its Impact on Youth Identity Formation in Contemporary China

In response to the trend of information technology development, religions in China are undergoing a process of mediatization. This study takes the popular Chinese animated films Ne Zha: Birth of the Demon Child (哪吒之魔童降世) (2019) and New Gods: Yang Jian (新神榜: 杨戬) (2022) as research cases of mediatization of religion and conducts a focused study of the respective protagonists Ne Zha (哪吒) and Yang Jian (杨戬), both prominent figures in Chinese religious and folk traditions. Through text analysis and empirical research on the two movies and their fans, this study examines how religion is being mediatized in contemporary China in the transformation to Religion 2.0 or a type of amalgamation of real- and virtual-world practices that enact a relationship with the divine, and how this shapes identity formation for fans, who are mostly young individuals in their teens and twenties. This research argues that to obtain permission for dissemination in mainstream media and thrive in the cultural context of China, religion chooses to assume the form of media products that can bypass scrutiny that forbids “supernatural phenomena” and aligns with the mainstream ideology. It has to be a “contributory religion” that contributes to the “revitalization” of national spirit and inherited Chinese culture, not a potential “superstitious” threat to the Marxist orthodoxy. In the context of official promotion of atheism and the regulation of public discourse, animated films with themes adapted from traditional mythological and religious stories, such as Ne Zha: Birth of the Demon Child and New Gods: Yang Jian, have become a major cultural form through which people in China engage with religious symbols and narratives. The enormous success of the two movies resulted in a large population of young fans. Influenced by these films, their fans have developed an egoistic religious perspective rather than assimilating the religious or cultural messages contained in the movies. These fans may experience solace and a call to faith to some extent in their consumption of the movies, but they selectively enhance religious literacy that only meets their personal needs. Interest in divine individuals far outweighs interest in or loyalty to the religious doctrine or sect itself. Pilgrimages are undertaken to fulfill personal fantasies, and the promotion of the divine is aimed at vying for influence within fan communities. The second part of this study examines the activities of the fans that I argue are characteristic of the age of Religion 2.0.

Shifting narratives: A critical discourse analysis of racial bias in the tale of Wu Feng’s indigenous representation

Heroic tales can support a nation’s mainstream ideology, but for minority groups, such as indigenous peoples, they can also be a detrimental oppositional force. This study explores the evolving discourse surrounding the tale of Wu Feng, arguably the most widespread and prominent narrative responsible for traumatizing indigenous peoples in Taiwan. Employing a critical discourse analysis of three texts from significant historical eras (Taiwan under Japanese rule, the martial-law era under the Nationalist Kuomintang’s rule, and the beginning of Taiwan’s indigenous rights movements), the study reveals the shifting portrayal of Taiwan’s indigenous peoples over time. Additionally, by incorporating data obtained by interviewing key stakeholders, it discusses the enduring ramifications of the tale for Taiwan’s indigenous communities. In conclusion, this paper urges that increased attention be directed toward recognizing the voices and experiences of minorities as represented in historical tales, to ensure greater inclusivity and balance.

Research on the creative development path of new mainstream films from the perspective of realism

With the continuous development of society, the emergence of new mainstream films has broken the creation mode of previous main theme films. The concept of The Times, the mainstream ideology, the new narrative characteristics, the authenticity and universality of the characters in the new mainstream movies have narrowed the distance between the film and the audience, and are easier to be accepted by the audience. How the new mainstream film develops in the current realistic theme has become the key point of research. This paper attempts to explore from three aspects: film theme, narrative mode and character image.

The Impact Mechanism of Mobile Short Video Platforms on The Recognition of Mainstream Ideology Among College Students

This article summarizes research findings on the impact of mobile short video platforms, college students' ideology, ideological education in colleges and universities, and public opinion on college students' mainstream ideology. Scholars believe that the resources of mobile short video platforms are limited, and the use of diversification is positively correlated with mobile cultural participation. Ideology has a neutral meaning, and the concepts of scientific ideology and socialist ideology are proposed. Ideological education in colleges and universities should pay attention to the leading role of educators, and informal educational institutions also play an important role. Mobile short video platforms have become a popular application on the Internet, and content generated by users based on user-generated content allows users to quickly shoot, edit, and share videos. More and more companies use short videos for publicity and promotion. The mainstream ideology of college students pursues personal development and freedom, respects diverse cultures and ideas, pursues social equity and democracy, and has the characteristics of the times such as diversification, globalization, innovation, socialization, and anti-poverty.

Exploring the Development and Breakthrough of Online Variety Shows from the Perspective of Youth Subculture

Many program formats are shifting from traditional variety shows to online variety shows as internet technology continues to develop. Online video platforms, led by iQiyi, have focused their content creation on the market for online self-produced variety shows. In many fields, program teams and directors choose youth subculture as the core creative concept of the programs. Different audience groups can find organizations and be entertained within their respective niches. In this thesis, we will take two classic online subculture variety shows, U Can U BB and Street Dance of China, as examples to explore how the in-depth combination of youth subcultures and online variety shows has aroused attention and threatened mainstream culture. At the same time, mainstream ideology and capital have been incorporated into the subculture market, and the modern audiovisual industry needs to reap stable benefits from the transition. In addition, the research methods of case studies of Chinese internet variety shows and comparative analysis will be utilized, bringing new thoughts and inspiration to media practitioners and content creators.

Whose Hand Writes the Story of ‘Us’? Vulnerability to Identity Interpellations in a Nonrepressive Social Context

I propose a reconsideration of the role that ‘interpellations’ play in the dynamic process of identity construction. ‘Interpellation’ is a quasi-technical term introduced by Louis Althusser (1969) that I reinterpret using the lens of contemporary social ontology. I therefore look at it as an identity proposal that the individual can either accept, reject, negotiate, or outright ignore. In the original text, Althusser mentions the fact that the individual’s acceptance is the essential moment of an interpellation, but he does not elaborate on the other options available to the individual. I believe it is important to analyze the individual’s options and the factors that may influence whether the individual’s freedom of choice is fully exercised in such contexts. I further discuss the human vulnerabilities that cause ‘interpellations’ to be adopted without much reflection, even in the absence of a repressive system that would try to enforce a mainstream ideology.

Critical Discourse Analysis of Internet Comments from the Perspective of Attitude System—Taking the "Pink Hair" Incident as an Example

Based on a small corpus of netizen’s comments, this study analyzes the discourse of internet comments from the perspective of the attitude system of evaluation theory. According to the analysis, netizens' comments contain traces of mainstream ideology, and the ostensibly objective and unbiased opinions are mingled with the discourse participants' interests, women are always in a subordinate position, and their roles are undervalued. Therefore, it provides a reference for the analysis internet comments discourse.