Analysis of an anti-domestic violence internet forum in China: mutual help, open communication, and social activism

While the internet is rightly considered as a major facilitator of social change in China, studies of the social potentials of the Chinese internet tend to focus excessively on its anti-authoritarian and democratic capacities. This narrow focus has led some observers to dismiss the entire argument that the Chinese internet is useful for facilitating social change. If we take into account social transformative capacities aside from anti-authoritarianism, a much wider range of social potentials of the Chinese internet will be revealed and the Chinese internet can be more adequately understood. The objective of this study is to contribute to such an investigative re-orientation through examining the case of an anti-domestic violence internet forum. This study will identify, document, and analyze three socially beneficial and progressive functions that the anti-domestic violence internet forum is performing. They include i) providing practical mutual help, emotional support, and information for victims of domestic violence, ii) facilitating weak tie relationships among victims and open communication among abusers and victims, and iii) creating a platform for social critique, advocacy, campaigning, and mobilization against domestic violence. Data of this study were collected from discourses in the internet forum, chats with several frequent contributors to the forum, brief interviews with forum administrator, and news and reports on the forum.