Represented Dreams: Subversive Expressions in Chinese Social Media as Alternative Symbolic Infrastructures

Abstract

This article examines the creation and utilization of subversive expressions by Chinese Internet users amid heavy censorship. While these expressions may potentially lead to collective resistance, so far they have not been subjected to systematic examination. A grounded analysis of 270 Weibo posts that relate to nine prevalent subversive keywords demonstrates how sporadic modes of playful civic engagement consolidate as shared symbolic infrastructures. The expressions construct a systematic “counter-hierarchical” social ladder; participants express identification with the groups that are least governmental, while clearly dissociating themselves from those connected to the regime. At the same time, the expressions reveal a set of contradictory values, shedding light on the challenges facing both “the Chinese Dream” and the prospect of social change.