Emerging online discussions in a Weibo (micro-blogging) platform argue for the new possibility of online deliberation in Chinese cyberspace. In order to ascertain the extent to which this platform is being used, the author has conducted a case study to measure the quality of deliberation of an online discussion of genetically modified (GM) foods in the comment section of posts written by Mr. Cui and Mr. Fang on Tencent Weibo. In order to gain a comprehensive understanding of the data, both methods of Discourse Quality Index (DQI) and interview have been used. The findings of the research indicate that the online discussion fails to meet two necessary criteria of deliberation: rational and logical statements and consensus building. However, the study results are not totally negative, since the levels of interaction, information exchange, mutual understanding and neutral expression are relatively high. According to the author, in the contemporary stage, online authoritarian deliberation faces many problems in the PRC. At micro level, first, online expression is irrational and illogical; second, it is hard to reach consensus building; third, participants are stubborn to their pre-given wills; forth, some people are indifferent to online discussions. At macro level, first, most of the online discussions have low external impact on decision-making; second, the strong government control may hinder the development of online deliberation.

Among the web 2.0 applications, a micro-blog (Weibo in Chinese), resembling the combination of a Twitter-like Internet service has gained substantial popularity in China. Sina Weibo is the market leader with approximately 50% of the market share. Around 80% of the users on Sina Weibo are young people. Hence, it is necessary to analyze young Chinese users of Sina Weibo and examine whether Sina Weibo fulfills the needs of young people and whether Sina Weibo meets their expectations. The study used the theory of uses and gratifications and the theory of expectancy-value as theoretical foundations. This study summarized six gratifications items (including social interaction, social networking, information seeking, information sharing, entertainment and recognition) from previous studies, and used these gratifications items to analyze: (1) the relationships between demographics and gratifications obtained; (2) the relationships between Sina Weibo usage and gratifications obtained: (3) the correlations between gratifications sought and gratifications obtained. This study used quantitative method to obtain data from a questionnaire and all the data were input to SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Science) for analyzing. The questionnaire was conducted and was distributed in Sojump.com. The results showed that Sina Weibo meets their users’ needs from six gratifications dimensions.

The rapid rise and popularization of social media has a profound impact on the society today. The emergence of the social media broadens the channels of communication and the people's vision. Citizens can freely express information such as words and pictures, and freely exchange their views on social media. This study will focus on Sina Weibo which is the most popular social media in China. The purpose of this research is to study how to attract so much attention by protagonist‘s post and this certain hot event. Simultaneously, it also focuses on attitude and opinions of audience through the comments of this incident. This research aims to do rhetoric analysis and content analysis by selecting the most popular posts and top 100 hot comments. It is interesting to discover that the most feasible ways of attracting attention are creating emotional response, strengthening credibility and persuading in rational approach. This event has received most of the audience support. The audience expressed their concern and compassion towards this event. They share the valuable information in the comments to express their feelings. However, there still exist some different opinions on it. Although it is hard to guarantee the same attitude of the spectators, the huge number of audience on Micro-blog is an important factor in the rapid spread of this event.

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As the name suggests and according to the developers’ intention, Social Networking Sites (SNS) are designed as tools for users to make friends and express themselves. However, the usage of SNS apparently goes beyond these aspects with more plurality and possibilities unforeseen by their conceivers. Much evidence shows that communicating about the environment and nature on social networking sites is a prominent phenomenon. However, few researchers have shed light on the individual use of SNS for environmental communication. Individuals in both China and Sweden generate, seek, disseminate and discuss environmental news and information on SNS. This exploratory study employs qualitative methods to examine this practice and compares the differences and similarities between Chinese and Swedish individuals in terms of environmental communication. Focusing on motivation and engagement, the study explains and describes why and how individuals in these two countries are engaged in environmental communication. The study also examines the social and political implications of this phenomenon by discussing the relationship among new technology, communication and social changes.

With growing popularity of the use of social network sites/services (SNSs) throughout the world, the global dominance of SNSs designed in the western industrialized countries, especially in the United Sates, seems to have become an inevitable trend. As internationalization has become a common practice in designing SNSs in the United States, is localization still a viable practice? Does culture still matter in designing SNSs? This dissertation aims to answer these questions by comparing the user interface (UI) designs of a U.S.-based SNS, Twitter, and a China-based SNS, Sina Weibo, both of which have assumed an identity of a “microblogging” service, a sub category of SNSs. This study employs the theoretical lens of the theory of technical identity, user-centered website cultural usability studies, and communication and media studies. By comparing the UI designs, or the “form,” of the two microblogging sites/services, I illustrate how the social functions of a technological object as embedded and expressed in the interface designs are preserved or changed as the technological object that has developed a relatively stable identity (as a microblogging site/service) in one culture is transferred between the “home” culture and another. The analysis in this study focuses on design elements relevant to users as members of networks, members of audience, and publishers/broadcasters. The results suggest that the designs carry disparate biases towards modes of communication and social affordances, which indicate a shift of the identity of microblogging service/site across cultures.

This thesis examines the role of microblogging in shaping public opinion and political participation in China with particular focus on the question of what sociopolitical implications and challenges that weibo phenomenon has brought to the Chinese society. I explore some of the prominent features of weibo for the role they plays in framing public sphere. Along with an in-depth study of two weibo cases, the results show that microblogging provide a unique platform for Chinese citizens to participate in civic engagement and to organize their collective opinions. The study also demonstrates that weibo has a significant impact on spurring social change. Further, weibo discourse encourages interaction between government and ordinary citizens, and it also changes traditional Chinese politics through enabling public political participation. However, the spread of rumors and network violence are some of the disadvantages inherent to the weibo phenomenon that should be of concern. More importantly, the analysis reveals that the initial reasons behind the weibo phenomenon were the long-term social conflicts and continuous information control by the state. Weibo certainly provides a remarkable platform for the freedom of speech but it should not be considered as a panacea for the social changes in China.

This thesis aims to explore how fans use social media to participate in activities relatedto the idol, and what is the level of participation of different fans in the fan group. Thisthesis used qualitative research methods – online observations and semi-structured indepth interviews to collect the empirical data, through focusing on the fan group of KrisWu. The theories of Jenkins and Carpentier are also applied to explore and describe theparticipatory practices of fans. By employing the theory of Jenkin’s participatoryculture to the first part of the analysis, the research results show that for the fans, socialmedia plays an important role in their participation, providing fans with a newenvironment to communicate and organize activities. Fan activities can be categorizedinto three major types: online consumption behaviors, fan text productions, and onlinesupporting activities. By applying the political and critical approach of participation, aswell as Carpentier’s four-level analytical model to the second part of the analysis, thisstudy finds that there are three sub-processes related to online fan communities – themanagement subprocess, the activity organization subprocess, and the subprocess oftext production and distribution. In each fan group, there are four different roles of fans– leaders, creators, supporters, and less active fans. Besides, through analyzing theidentities and decision-making moments, it can be said that although each fan isrelatively equal in the whole participatory process, there are still certain power relationsbetween each role of fans, especially in the process of fan group management.