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Part of
Analysing Chinese Language and Discourse across Layers and Genres
Edited by Wei Wang
[Studies in Chinese Language and Discourse 13] 2020
► pp. 147–166

Chapter 8
Representations of Pinkunsheng in China’s university media

| China Agricultural University

This paper aims to examine the representations of Pinkunsheng or Jingjikunnan xuesheng (hereafter Pinkunsheng) (i.e. low-income college students) in China through examining campus newspapers (Xiaobao), which constitute the major print medium at universities. Given that the admission rate of Pinkunsheng in agricultural, forestry and normal universities is relatively higher than other universities, three Xiaobao (i.e. 中国农大校报 (Xiaobao of China Agricultural University), 南京林业大学报 (Xiaobao of Nanjing Forestry University) and 北京师范大学校报 (Xiaobao of Beijing Normal University)) were identified as data sources. Drawing on the theory of identity centrality (Rosenberg 1979) and taking a sociocultural linguistic approach to identity （Bucholtz and Hall 2004, 2005, 2008), this paper finds that different relations of identity are employed in diverse types of text to represent disparate identity dimensions of Pinkunsheng. Information reports tend to highlight their powerlessness in economic terms, whereas campus-based recounts and narratives foreground their high motivation, their goal-oriented psychological strength and their academic endeavour. This study sets out to make a contribution to current research on the media representations of Pinkunsheng in China, thereby providing insights into the discourses of low-income college students in contemporary China.

Keywords: Pinkunsheng, campus newspapers (Xiaobao), representation, identity
Article outline
  • Introduction
  • Pinkunsheng and Xiaobao
    • Pinkunsheng
    • Xiaobao
  • Theoretical foundations and framework
    • Identity centrality and a sociocultural linguistic approach to identity
      • Identity centrality
      • A sociocultural linguistic approach to identity
    • Genres and text types
    • Theoretical framework
  • Data analysis
    • Identity: The one-dimension perspective
    • Identity: The two-dimension perspective
    • Identity: The three-dimension perspective
  • Discussion and conclusion
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 28 August 2020
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/scld.13.08che
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