Rational Instrumentality vs. Social Diffusion: Participation in Anti-Japanese Demonstrations in China

• In Event: 115 - Section on Asia and Asian America Refereed Roundtable Session and Business Meeting
  In Refereed Roundtable 60min: Table 04. Political Sociology in China

Abstract

Nationwide anti-Japanese demonstrations have erupted in China periodically in recent years. This study investigates what factors make university students more motivated to participate in anti-Japanese demonstrations. We collected original data on 1458 university students in Beijing in June 2014. We highlight two distinct motivating factors—instrumentality and diffusion. They stress individual rationality and social influence, respectively. We find that students are more willing to participate in future demonstrations (1) when they perceive anti-Japanese demonstrations to be instrumental in promoting the state’s diplomacy (instrumentality), and (2) when they have prior demonstrators in their social networks (diffusion). Moreover, there is a substitution effect between instrumentality and diffusion. Those students who stress instrumental values of anti-Japanese demonstrations are less likely to indiscriminately follow peers in their social networks, whereas those with prior demonstrators in their networks are less likely to be motivated by rational calculation of instrumentality. However, when it comes to actual participation, only diffusion plays a significant role while instrumentality does not. Actual participation in anti-Japanese demonstrations is thus more a result of social diffusion than rational calculation.

Authors

• Min Zhou, University of Victoria

• Hanning Wang, University of Victoria