The Success of Online Activism in China: A Comparative Case Study

Abstract

The aim of this study is to determine what drives the success of online-supported social movements in China. Research into understanding the rising phenomenon of online activism remains limited to date. While scholarship overwhelmingly points to the divisions between political elites as the primary cause of success, scholars have failed to adequately test alternative explanations. Additionally, the majority of existing research is based upon only successful case studies and movements that were single issue in nature. This thesis will conduct a comparative case study, guided by John Stewart Mill’s method of difference. The cases of this study are the Xiamen movement (2007) and the Dalian movement (2011-2012). The research question, “what factors facilitate an online social movement in China to achieve successful outcomes?” will guide the study as a whole. The findings of the study suggest there to be two key contributory factors that drive the success of the two online-supported social movements: the division between higher and lower level elites, and the ability of activists to evade and counteract government censorship measures.