Can social media disembed China local environmental activism?
Premier événement lié au projet Chine CoREF sur les transitions écologiques. À cette occasion, le projet accueillera Coraline Goron, professeure à Duke Kunshan University, spécialiste de la politique environnementale en Chine. Elle mène des recherches sur le rôle des réseaux sociaux dans l’action des ONG en Chine.
With Coraline Goron, PhD, Duke Kunshan University
Moderation: Virginie Arantes (Chine CoREF, CCJ-CECMC)
This hybrid conference will explore the role of social media in China’s local environmental activism. Coraline Goron will discuss how activists use public platforms like Weibo and WeChat to navigate state control, avoid cooptation, and mobilize support for environmental causes.
Presentation Abstract
China’s Environmental NGOs have been described as “embedded” due to their structural dependence on the state. While some studies highlight the increasing cooptation pressure imposed by the current administration, others point to their ability to maintain a degree of autonomy.
This study investigates how NGO activists utilize public social media platforms such as Weibo and WeChat to overcome local institutional barriers and repression. Based on in-depth interviews with 13 NGOs/activists and an analysis of social media posts concerning 53 cases between 2014 and 2022, this research identifies patterns in activists’ decisions to go public. The findings reveal that social media is leveraged when institutional and private channels are insufficient, or when activists face direct threats. While embedded in the local party-state system, social media provides a limited yet strategic space for maneuvering within China’s environmental governance.
Bio
Coraline Goron is an Assistant Professor of Environmental Policy at Duke Kunshan University. She holds a PhD in Political Science from the University of Warwick and ULB under the Erasmus Mundus GEM program. Her research focuses on China’s environmental politics, regulatory transformations, and the intersection of state power, activism, and information disclosure.
Event Details
Tuesday, 11 March 2025
10 AM – 12 PM (UTC+1)
Venue:
Campus Condorcet – Centre de colloques
Salle 3.05
Place du Front populaire
93322 Aubervilliers Cedex
Online participation available – registration required for connection link.
Please register here: https://forms.gle/fHYWzggZaoNYiurA6
OpenEdition vous propose de citer ce billet de la manière suivante :
Monique Abud (4 mars 2025). Can social media disembed China local environmental activism? Carnets du Centre Chine (CNRS/EHESS). Consulté le 24 avril 2025 à l’adresse https://doi.org/10.58079/13ez4