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Exploring the cosmopolitanism in China: examining mosheng ren (“the stranger”) communication through Momo

2019; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 36; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/15295036.2019.1566629

1529-5036

Deya Xu, Fang Wu,

Hong Kong and Taiwan Politics

This paper discusses a phenomenon that has become popular in mainland China in recent years, "mosheng ren communication," focusing specifically on an application known as Momo, a social discovery and dating platform that is widely used in China. It first outlines the context of post-Mao China, which has produced urbanism, individualization, and a sexual revolution. Thereafter, it turns to the theories of the stranger and cosmopolitanism, which are used to analyze mosheng ren communication. This paper adopts cultural discourse analysis as the analytical procedure to present the findings of online and offline interviews conducted in both Beijing and Shanghai to examine how Momo users in urban metropolises make use of this app in order to analyze the cultural radiants in their communication practices. Based on the data obtained, this paper analyzes mosheng ren communication in the Chinese context and describes how Momo is designed to facilitate it. Momo users can enter into sexual relations based on the use of authentic photos on their profiles; alternatively, they can communicate anonymously. They are also "in-between" traditional Chinese values and new values. Momo users contribute a Chinese form of cosmopolitanism through cultivation of insensitivity to mosheng ren, while their engagement in mosheng ren communication implies that the members of are more open to others.