The fieldsite consists of a small rural town and its surrounding villages. The central town area has a population of just 6,000. Despite being within travelling distance from nearby towns and cities, the town remains culturally distinct and townsfolk see themselves as having different values compared to urban people. Many people in the fieldsite still farm, although there are a number of small factories in the town. The town has a number of religious sites such as Daoist and Buddhist temples, and themes of tradition and morality are especially important to townspeople.
Videos
Fieldsite introduction
After school education
Street dancing mothers
Basketball and social media
Tool - Taoist views on social media
Card games and social media
Photography friends
Selfies and lamb kebabs
Baby photos
'A job' - social media and working far from home
Teenage QQ - young people and social media
Tom McDonald discusses research methods
Our researcher in North China
Tom McDonald is Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology, The University of Hong Kong. He received his PhD in Anthropology from UCL in 2013 and has published numerous academic articles on internet use and consumption practices in China.