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Microblogging-Based Civic Participation on Environment in China: A Case Study of the PM 2.5 Campaign

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2026

Irina Fedorenko  and
Yixian Sun
Irina Fedorenko*
Affiliation:
School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
Yixian Sun*
Affiliation:
Department of International Relations/Political Science, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva, Switzerland
*
irina.fedorenko@gtc.ox.ac.uk
yixian.sun@graduateinstitute.ch
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Abstract

Poor air quality has been affecting the Chinese people for many years due to the country’s speedy industrialization and urbanization. However, very few initiatives had been taken by civil society until 2011. The air pollution campaign between October 2011 and March 2012 initiated on a Chinese microblogging website, mobilized millions of citizens and effected policy change. It is often seen as a milestone in the chronology of public participation in China. Using process tracing, participant observations, framing analysis and in-depth interviews, the article analyses this campaign by revealing its major actors and frames mobilizing issue entrepreneurs and environmental publics. Our analysis generates two findings: first, microblogging platforms can greatly expand the networks of Chinese environmental activists by involving public figures and governmental agencies; second, the frame which links air pollution to health and appreciates governmental efforts is critical to the success of civic participation in China’s environmental governance.

Résumé

Résumé

La mauvaise qualité de l’air touche le peuple chinois depuis de nombreuses années en raison de l’industrialisation et de l’urbanisation rapides du pays. Cependant, très peu d’initiatives avaient été prises par la société civile jusqu’en 2011. La campagne sur la pollution de l’air menée entre octobre 2011 et mars 2012, lancée sur un site Internet de microblogage chinois, a mobilisé des millions de citoyens et apporté un changement de politique. Elle est souvent considérée comme une étape importante dans la chronologie de la participation du public en Chine. À l’aide d’un suivi de processus, d’observations de participants, d’une analyse des cadrages et d’entretiens approfondis, l’article analyse cette campagne en faisant connaître ses principaux acteurs et les cadres qui ont mobilisé les entrepreneurs de la question et les citoyens moyens s'intéressant à l’environnement. Notre analyse génère deux conclusions : tout d’abord, les plateformes de microblogage peuvent développer de manière considérable les réseaux des militants écologistes chinois en impliquant des personnalités publiques et des organismes gouvernementaux; deuxièmement, le cadre qui relie la pollution atmosphérique à la santé et qui apprécie les efforts gouvernementaux est essentiel pour la réussite de la participation citoyenne dans la gouvernance de l’environnement en Chine.

Zusammenfassung

Zusammenfassung

Die Menschen in China sind seit vielen Jahren von schlechter Luftqualität betroffen, welche auf die rapide Industrialisierung und Urbanisierung des Landes zurückzuführen ist. Allerdings wurden bis 2011 nur sehr wenige bürgergesellschaftliche Initativen ergriffen. Die Luftverschmutzungskampagne zwischen Oktober 2011 und März 2012, die auf einer chinesischen Mikroblogging-Website begann, mobilisierte Millionen von Bürgern und führte zu einer Änderung der Politik. Sie wird oft als ein Meilenstein in der Chronologie der Bürgerbeteiligung in China betrachtet. Mithilfe der Prozessanalyse, der teilnehmenden Beobachtung, der Framing-Analyse und ausführlichen Befragungen analysiert dieser Beitrag die Kampagne und stellt ihre Hauptakteure und Perspektiven heraus, die Unternehmer und umweltbewusste Bürger mobilisieren Unsere Analyse kommt zu den folgenden zwei Ergebnissen: Erstens, Mikroblogging-Plattformen können die Netzwerke chinesischer Umweltaktivisten durch die Einbeziehung öffentlicher Personen und Regierungsbehörden stark ausweiten; zweitens, Perspektiven, die die Luftverschmutzung mit der Gesundheit in Verbindung bringen und Regierungsbemühungen begrüßen, sind für den Erfolg der Bürgerbeteiligung an Chinas Umweltpolitik ausschlaggebend.

Resumen

Resumen

La pobre calidad del aire ha estado afectando al pueblo chino durante muchos años debido a la rápida industrialización y urbanización del país. Sin embargo, la sociedad civil había tomado muy pocas iniciativas hasta 2011. La campaña sobre la contaminación del aire entre octubre de 2011 y marzo de 2012 iniciada en un sitio Web chino de microblogging, movilizó a millones de ciudadanos y efectuó un cambio político. A menudo se ve como un hito en la cronología de la participación pública en China. Utilizando un seguimiento del proceso, observaciones de la participación, análisis de marcos y entrevistas en profundidad, el artículo analiza esta campaña revelando a sus principales actores y los marcos que movilizan a emprendedores de cuestiones y públicos medioambientales. Nuestro análisis genera dos hallazgos: en primer lugar, las plataformas de microblogging pueden expandir enormemente las redes de los activistas medioambientales chinos implicando a figuras públicas y a agencias gubernamentales; en segundo lugar, el marco que vincula la contaminación del aire a la salud y valora los esfuerzos gubernamentales es crítico para el éxito de la participación cívica en la gobernanza medioambiental de China.

摘要

摘要

在中国,由于工业化和城市化的快速发展,空气质量差多年来一直影响着中国人民。 2011年之前,很少有公民社团发起倡议活动。 2011年10月至2012年3月, 在中国一个微博网站上发起了一个空气质量运动,动员参与的公民多达百万,对政策变化产生了一定的影响。 这一事件在中国公众参与环保的年表中经常被视为一起里程碑式的事件。 本文通过过程追踪、参与者观察、框架分析和深入访谈等方法分析了这次运动,揭示了其主要参与人员并谈及了议题倡导者和一般环保人士的动员情况。 通过分析有两点发现: 第一, 微博平台可以通过公众人物和政府机构的参与来扩大中国环境人士的网络, 第二, 把空气污染和健康联系起来并理解政府做出的努力对公民成功参与中国环境治理具有至关重要的意义。

要約

要約

中国人は長年、迅速な工業化と都市化によって大気汚染の影響を受けてきた。ただし2011 年には市民社会がイニシアチブを取られている。2011年10月~2012年3月までの大気汚染キャンペーンでは、中国のマイクロブログにおけるウェブサイトが数百万の市民を動員して方針を転換させた。これは中国における市民参加年表の礎として判断されている。本論文では、プロセスの追跡、参加観察、フレーミングの分析、詳細なインタビューを使用して、主要な当事者、フレーム問題の起業家、環境一般を明らかにしてこのキャンペーンを分析する。本分析から2つの結果が得られた。まずマイクロブログのプラットフォームは、著名人と政府機関を含む中国の環境活動家のネットワークを大幅に拡張できる。;第二に、大気汚染を健康と政府の努力への感謝をリンクさせる枠組みは、中国の環境ガバナンスにおける市民参加の成功に不可欠である。

ملخص

ملخص

رداءة نوعية الهواء يؤثرعلى الشعب الصيني لسنوات عديدة بسبب التصنيع السريع في البلاد والتحضر. مع ذلك، تم إتخاذ مبادرات قليلة جدا عن طريق المجتمع المدني حتى عام 2011. حملة تلوث الهواء بين أكتوبر2011 و مارس 2012، بدأت على موقع على الانترنت للتدوين الصيني الصغير، في حشد الملايين من المواطنين وتنفيذ تغيير السياسات. غالبا˝ ما ينظر إليها على أنها علامة فارقة في التسلسل الزمني للمشاركة الشعبية في الصين. عن طريق تتبع العملية، ملاحظات المشاركين، إستخدام بحوث متعددة للتحليل والمقابلات المتعمقة، تقوم المقالة بتحليل هذه الحملة من خلال الكشف عن الجهات الفاعلة الرئيسية، و تحديد مشاكل تعبئة رجال الأعمال والجماهير البيئية. تحليلنا ينشئ نتيجتين: أولا˝، يمكن أن يقوم منبرالمدونات الصغيرة بتوسيع إلى حد كبير شبكات الناشطين في مجال البيئة الصيني من خلال إشراك الشخصيات العامة والوكالات الحكومية. ثانيا˝، الإطارالذي ربط تلوث الهواء على الصحة ويقدر الجهود الحكومية الحاسمة لنجاح المشاركة المدنية في الإدارة البيئية للصين.

Keywords

Public participationEnvironmental campaignsSocial mediaAir pollutionChina

Information

Type
Original Paper
Information
Voluntas: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations , Volume 27 , Issue 5 , October 2016 , pp. 2077 - 2105
Copyright
Copyright © International Society for Third-Sector Research and The Johns Hopkins University 2015

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Footnotes

Irina Fedorenko and Yixian Sun have contributed equally to this work.

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