Tang, Li. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 130-137). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Chapter 1 --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 2 --- Literature Review --- p.9 / Chapter 2.1 --- Subaltern Public Sphere --- p.9 / Chapter 2.1.1 --- Public Sphere: Liberal Model --- p.9 / Chapter 2.1.2 --- Criticism on Unitary Public Sphere --- p.11 / Chapter 2.1.3 --- Subaltern Public Sphere --- p.12 / Chapter 2.1.4 --- Criteria for Subaltern Public Sphere --- p.14 / Chapter 2.1.5 --- External Parties --- p.16 / Chapter 2.1.6 --- Public Sphere in the Cyberspace --- p.17 / Chapter 2.2 --- Public Sphere in Contemporary China --- p.19 / Chapter 2.2.1 --- Application of the Concept of Public Sphere in China --- p.19 / Chapter 2.2.2 --- Dominant Public Sphere in China --- p.21 / Chapter 2.2.3 --- Subaltern Groups in China --- p.23 / Chapter 2.2.4 --- Subaltern Public Spheres in Chinese Cyberspace --- p.25 / Chapter 2.2.5 --- HBV Carriers Group and the Forum --- p.28 / Chapter 3 --- Research Design --- p.32 / Chapter 3.1 --- Overall Conceptual Framework --- p.32 / Chapter 3.2 --- Research Questions --- p.33 / Chapter 3.3 --- Research Methods --- p.36 / Chapter 3.3.1 --- Textual Analysis --- p.36 / Chapter 3.3.2 --- Interviews --- p.39 / Chapter 4 --- Brief Overview of the Forum --- p.43 / Chapter 4.1 --- Overall Development --- p.43 / Chapter 4.2 --- Structure --- p.46 / Chapter 4.3 --- Users --- p.50 / Chapter 5 --- Empowerment on the Discursive Level --- p.53 / Chapter 5.1 --- Characteristics of the Forum --- p.53 / Chapter 5.1.1 --- Alternative Topic --- p.53 / Chapter 5.1.2 --- Alternative Information of HBV --- p.54 / Chapter 5.1.3 --- Discourse of Self-Narrative --- p.59 / Chapter 5.1.4 --- Forum Accessibility --- p.61 / Chapter 5.1.5 --- Relative Equality --- p.62 / Chapter 5.2 --- Rhetoric of Innocence --- p.64 / Chapter 5.2.1 --- Attribution of the Spread of HBV --- p.65 / Chapter 5.2.2 --- Attribution of Discrimination --- p.68 / Chapter 5.3 --- Summary --- p.70 / Chapter 6 --- Empowerment and Collective Action --- p.73 / Chapter 6.1 --- The State --- p.73 / Chapter 6.1.1 --- State's Impact on HBV Carriers --- p.75 / Chapter 6.1.2 --- Resistance Enabled by the Internet --- p.76 / Chapter 6.1.3 --- Challenges from the State --- p.84 / Chapter 6.1.4 --- Compromise with the State --- p.86 / Chapter 6.2 --- The Market --- p.88 / Chapter 6.2.1 --- Market Domination --- p.89 / Chapter 6.2.2 --- Resistance against the Market --- p.91 / Chapter 6.2.3 --- Challenges from the market --- p.99 / Chapter 6.3 --- The Mass Media --- p.101 / Chapter 6.3.1 --- Mass Media's Domination --- p.102 / Chapter 6.3.2 --- Forum's Efforts to Get Favourably Represented --- p.106 / Chapter 6.3.3 --- Mass Media's Influence over the Forum --- p.111 / Chapter 6.4 --- Summary --- p.113 / Chapter 7 --- Conclusion and Discussion --- p.116 / Chapter 7.1 --- Assessing Empowerment Capacity --- p.116 / Chapter 7.1.1 --- Formation of a Subaltern Public Sphere --- p.116 / Chapter 7.1.2 --- Discursive Empowerment --- p.117 / Chapter 7.1.3 --- Transformed Relationships with External Parties --- p.118 / Chapter 7.2 --- Internet and Empowerment --- p.123 / Chapter 7.3 --- Limitations of the study --- p.127 / Bibliography --- p.130