Navigating the Fringe: An Ethnographic Study of Smaller-Scale Chinese Multinational Platforms in the Global Market

We are very pleased to announce a free hybrid seminar by Dr. Tingting Liu fromthe School of Journalism and Communication at Jinan University, China. The event will be hosted in-person at the RES Hub (Level 5, Building 2) and by Zoom here. All are welcome!

Title: Navigating the Fringe: An Ethnographic Study of Smaller-Scale Chinese Multinational Platforms in the Global Market

Abstract:

In the wake of TikTok’s international success, a growing number of smaller Chinese-owned infotech enterprises are expanding their operations globally. Many face challenges due to intense competition in China’s saturated domestic market and increasingly stringent restrictions imposed by Chinese authorities. This paper, based on findings from a larger research project, explores and develops the concept of “smaller-scale platforms” through an ethnographic case study of the multinational live-streaming platform Bigo Live. The paper addresses the need for a deeper understanding of the Chinese platform economy, which is characterized by an operational ethos focused on profits, a fast-paced approach, relationship-based expansion paths, essentialist views on gender and race identities, and a disregard for workers’ rights. This ethos shapes and constrains the experiences of people working within a trans-platform, transnational, and trans-local creative labor sector. The paper also outlines prospective research trajectories stemming from the theorization of smaller-scale platforms, suggesting potential inquiries that could enhance scholarly understanding in this field.

Bio:

Dr. Tingting Liu is an Associate Professor at the School of Journalism and Communication at Jinan University in Guangzhou, China, and also holds the position of Adjunct Fellow within the Faculty of Design, Architecture & Building (DAB) at The University of Technology Sydney (UTS). Completing her PhD in Anthropology from the University of Queensland in 2018, Dr. Liu’s doctoral research on digital intimacy of Chinese rural migrant workers received support from the Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship and the Chinese Society for Women’s Studies (CSWS) Scholarships for Junior Feminist Scholars. Subsequent to her doctoral studies, she served as an ARC Postdoctoral Research Fellow at The Institute for Culture and Society at Western Sydney University, Australia. Dr. Liu’s academic pursuits delve deeply into media anthropology, digital culture, and popular entertainment, with a keen regional focus on both China and Australia.

This event is supported by the Discipline of Digital and Social Media in the School of Communication, and by the Technology, Media & Strategy Research Group and Higher Degree Research in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at UTS.