Need for belonging
Exploring subcultural identity in the Chinese Lolita online community
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 12599655 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Jiayixiu Zhao (0009-0009-2054-1887, University of Leicester), Junshuang Zhao (0000-0003-3511-1635, University of Leicester), Yimei Zhu (0000-0003-0557-5236, University of Leicester, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2024 |
| Volume | 28 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 1000-1020 |
| Publication date | 2024-11-13 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | European Journal of Cultural Studies (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1367-5494 • E-ISSN: 1460-3551 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/13675494241296649 |
| OpenAlex | W4404302418 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 44 |
This study explores the evolution of the Chinese Lolita fashion online communities. The inception of Lolita fashion in China began in the early 2000s and Lolita dressing culture has gained popularity with the development of digital media. We draw on 53 qualitative interviews, alongside ethnographic research, to understand Lolita participants’ perception of Lolita dressing culture and their experience with the Lolita online communities. We critique existing studies that classify Lolita dressing practice as a fashion or popular culture, and we argue that Chinese Lolita participants identify Lolita fashion participation as a subculture, with evidence of community building and identity construction involving rebellion against mainstream culture. This inquiry into the dynamics of digitally mediated communities formed by dedicated Lolita participants uncovers the evolution of Lolita online communities which exhibit a three-type typology: cohesive community, loose community and deconstructed community. We further critique the existing definitions and understanding of online communities. We argue that components such as a sense of belonging, alongside clear boundaries and rules, should still be integral to the definition of online communities. Lolita participants persistently desire a cohesive online community to attain a sense of belonging and to exhibit their subcultural identity
Advertising · Aesthetics · Art · Business · Criminology · Identity (music · Media studies · Online community · Political science · Sociology · Asian Culture and Media Studies · Gender Studies · Gender, Feminism, and Media · Law · Psychology · Social Media and Politics · Social Psychology
Digital Youth
Doing a thematic analysis
Self-disclosure versus self-presentation on social media
Lolita fashion
Why People Use TikTok (Douyin) and How Their Purchase Intentions Are Affected by Social Media Influencers in China
How Online Fraud Victims are Targeted in China
A decolonial analysis of Lolita dressing practice and fashion in Mainland China
Subculture
Folk Devils and Moral Panics
Resistance Through Rituals
Digital music and subculture
Returning to and continuing the traditional Chinese family system via WeChat
CouchSurfing
Beyond the diluted community concept
Translating YouTube vlogs for a global audience
Cook it, eat it, Skype it
Lolita”
Using Social Psychology to Motivate Contributions to Online Communities
Virtual Community Attraction
Why People Accept Mental Health-Related Misinformation
Cosmopolitanism, Glocalization and Youth Cultures
Being Alice in Japan
I tweet honestly, I tweet passionately
Selective self-presentation in computer-mediated communication
Sampling Knowledge
The qualitative research interview
Sense of community
The need to belong
Authentic Identities
I Sometimes Wonder Whether I'm an Outsider
We Are What We Post? Self-Presentation in Personal Web Space
Subcultures or Neo-tribes? Rethinking the Relationship Between Youth, Style and Musical Taste
| Citations per year | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2025 - 2025 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |