Project Overview
Is Anyone "Lying Flat" ? The Persistence of Competition Culture in the People's Republic of China
Department(s)
Sociology and Anthropology
Asian Studies
Abstract
I think a student research assistant who is fully fluent in written Chinese, as well as has training in media content analysis. The work would involve reading Chinese scholarly texts as well as doing a content analysis of internet trends on the Chinese web.
During the pandemic, criticisms of China's competition culture went viral through a meme of "lying flat." (The argument was that it was preferable to give up and lie flat than to engage in China's toxic competition for academic and career success, where the reward for hard work was dwindling.) I have longitudinal survey data showing that "lying flat" attitudes became prevalent for young people during the depths of the pandemic, but this was a short-term trend. Post-pandemic survey results indicate that attitudes not only reverted to the mean, but instead revealed that people of all ages, even young people, are more invested in competition culture than ever. I would like to support my survey findings with content analysis of online trends in China, as well as to get updated on the Chinese language scholarship on the subject.
Student Qualifications
Fluency in Chinese. Must be able to read Chinese scholarly articles and translate documents from Chinese to English with accuracy in both languages.
Research methods training in media content analysis. Experience in content analysis preferred.
Number of Student Researchers
1 student
Project Length
8 weeks
APPLY