Cultural Trends of Audiences Online Interactions With Vocal Talent Shows: A Comparative Study Between China and the US

• In Event: Diverse Media Issues in Intercultural Communication

Abstract

Culture pervades our daily lives, and cultural differences as well as similarities can be discerned from audience interactions online. This study aims to examine cultural reflections in the online environment with regard to audience comments on social network sites. The study applies Hofstede’s five dimensions of cross culture to investigate audience comments on the official SNS pages of two vocal talent shows, The Voice of China and The Voice. A content analysis of audience comments on Sina Weibo and Facebook revealed significant findings on the existent cultural divergence and promising cultural convergence between China and the US. Findings suggest that Chinese audiences are inclined to embrace collectivism, but are reluctant to obey the hierarchy in real space. Additionally, both Chinese and American audiences are similar in showing antipathy online. The study enhances the exploration of cultural manifestations in cyberspace rather than in real space, which studies have already researched.

Authors

• Yafei Zhang, University of Iowa

• Heungseok Koh, University of Iowa

• Li Chen, U of Iowa

• Andrea M Weare, U of Iowa