Westernization of Pop Culture in China - "China's Got Talent"

• Thesis title in Czech: Westernizace pop kultury v Číně - "China's Got Talent"
• Thesis title in English: Westernization of Pop Culture in China - "China's Got Talent"
• Key words: westernizace, populární kultura, Čína, talentové pořady, populární kultura v Asii, Got Talent, celebrity, divácká recepce
• English key words: Westernization, pop-culture, China, Talent Shows, Asian Pop culture, Got Talent, celebrities, audience reception
• Academic year of topic announcement: 2015/2016
• Thesis type: diploma thesis
• Thesis language: angličtina
• Department: Department of Media Studies (23-KMS)
• Supervisor: doc. PhDr. Irena Reifová, Ph.D.
• Author: hidden - assigned by the advisor
• Date of registration: 22.07.2016
• Date of assignment: 22.07.2016
• Date and time of defence: 27.06.2017 08:30
• Venue of defence: Hollar - Smetanovo nábřeží 6, H013, Hollar - místn. č. 013
• Date of electronic submission: 18.05.2017
• Date of proceeded defence: 27.06.2017
• Opponents: Dr. phil. habil. Ulrike Lütke Notarp, Ph.D.

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Preliminary scope of work

Tato diplomová práce se zabývá fenoménen westernizace popové kultury na území pevninské Číny a zkoumá ji na příkladu čínské adaptace talentové show China’s Got Talent. (CHGT) V teoretické části nastiňuje obecné globalizační a westernizační tendence a poskytuje teoretické ukotvení hlavních pojmů mediálních studií. Výzkumným cílem této práce je analýza divácké recepce CHGT v Číně a nastínění názorů respondentů na popovou kulturu. Problematika je zasazena do širšího kontextu teorií kulturního imperialismu a dále jsou popsána specifika talentových a reality show. Práce také poskytuje historický přehled vývoje populární kultury na území pevninské Číny.
V praktické části jsou popsány silné a slabé stránky aplikovaných metodologických postupů. V této práci byla provedena obecná tematická analýza vybraných sociálních médií jako je Weibo, QQ nebo Baidu. Rovněž byly porovnány dvě verze adaptací formátu „Got Talent,“ britská verze Britain’s Got Talent a čínská adaptace China’s Got Talent. Dále byly uskutečněny kvalitativní hloubkové rozhovory s čínskými respondenty pobývajícími na území Čínské lidové republiky a na území Velké Británie. Skupina respondentů ve Velké Británii sloužila jako kontrolní skupina pro srovnání a hlavní zaměření bylo na recepci CHGT a na obecné názory respondentů a jejich zkušenosti týkající se popové kultury a celebrit v Číně ve srovnání se západními. Vzhledem k dané problematice, sekundární literatuře a k rozhovorům v anglickém a čínském jazyce se autorka přiklání k možnosti psát diplomovou práci v anglickém jazyce.

Preliminary scope of work in English

This master thesis deals with the phenomenon of Westernization of pop culture in mainland China on the example of the Chinese adapted version of the Talent Show China’s Got Talent. (CHGT) In its theoretical part it outlines the overall globalizing and Westernizing tendencies and sets a theoretical framework of the main terminology of media studies. The research goal of the thesis was to analyze the audience reception of CHGT in China and their ideas and views on pop culture The research goal is included in the broader context of cultural imperialism theories and the specifics of talent and reality shows are elaborated. Furthermore a historical overview of the evolution of pop culture in mainland China is provided.
In the practical part, the applied methodological approaches and their potential strengths and weaknesses are described. A basic thematic analysis of certain selected social media like Weibo, QQ and Baidu was conducted. The two versions of the adapted Got Talent format were compared as far as the formal features are concerned, the British version of Britain’s Got Talent and the Chinese adaptation China’s Got Talent. Moreover qualitative in-depth interviews with Chinese respondents in the PRC and the UK were performed. The group in the UK served as a control group for comparison and the main focus was on the audience reception of China’s Got Talent and their overall ideas and experiences concerning Chinese pop culture products and celebrities as opposed to Western ones. Due to the difficult terminology, secondary sources in English and the in-depth interviews being carried out in English and in Chinese, the author chose to write this MA thesis in the English language.