ABSTRACT

In Asia, amidst its varied levels of economic development and diverse cultural traditions and political regimes, the Internet and mobile communications are increasingly used in every aspect of life. Yet the analytical frames used to understand the impact of digital media on Asia predominantly originate from the Global North, neither rooted in Asia’s rich philosophical traditions, nor reflective of the sociocultural practices of this dynamic region. This volume examines digital phenomena and its impact on Asia by drawing on specifically Asian perspectives. Contributors apply a variety of Asian theoretical frameworks including guanxi, face, qing, dharma and karma. With chapters focusing on emerging digital trends in China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Korea, Philippines, Singapore, and Taiwan, the book presents compelling and diverse research on identity and selfhood, spirituality, social networking, corporate image, and national identity as shaped by and articulated through digital communication platforms.

part II|52 pages

Self and Identity

chapter 3|19 pages

My Letter to Heaven via E-mail

Translocal Piety and Mediated Selves in Urban Marian Piety in the Philippines

part III|50 pages

Group Processes and Collective Imaginaries

chapter 5|16 pages

Credibility, Reliability, and Reciprocity

Mobile Communication, Guanxi, and Protest Mobilization in Contemporary China

chapter 7|17 pages

Ritual and Communal Connection in Mobile Phone Communication

Representations of Kapwa, Bayanihan and ‘People Power’ in the Philippines

part IV|52 pages

Discourses and Discursive Constructions of Meaning

chapter 9|17 pages

Tweets in the Limelight

The Contested Relationship between (Dis)harmony and Newsworthiness

chapter 10|17 pages

Shadow and Soul

Stereoscopic Phantasmagoria and Holographic Immortalization in Transnational Chinese Pop

part V|30 pages

Conclusions and Ruminations

chapter 11|20 pages

Asian Modernity and the Post-Human Future

Some Reflections