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Storytelling and Networking on Tibet: Relationships Between Narratives, Framing and Networks Within

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Storytelling and Networking on Tibet: Relationships Between Narratives, Framing and Networks Within Storytelling and Networking on Tibet: Relationships between narratives, framing and networks within and between two oppositional issue networks Laura Danielle Osburn A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy University of Washington 2014 Reading Committee: Dr. Kirsten Foot, Chair Dr. Philip Howard, Co-chair Dr. Gina Neff Program Authorized to Offer Degree: Department of Communication ©Copyright 2014 Laura Danielle Osburn University of Washington Abstract Storytelling and Networking on Tibet: Relationships between narratives, framing and networks within and between two oppositional issue networks Laura Danielle Osburn Chairs of the Supervisory Committee: Dr. Kirsten Foot Department of Communication and Dr. Philip Howard Department of Communication This study is centered on issues of storytelling, persuasion, and politics on websites: how stories are made accessible on the web and how these stories are asserted as truths. This study analyzes these issues through researching shared and contested online narratives in two competing issue networks concerning Tibet, Tibetan refugees and the Tibet Movement: an issue network in support of the Tibet Movement and an issue network based in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) that generates English language propaganda in support of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) policies regarding the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) and Tibetan refugee relations. This dissertation project combines hyperlink network analysis (HNA) and website narrative analysis to analyze these two issue networks and the relationship between each issue network’s narratives, framing strategies, network characteristics and linking practices. The results of this study will shed light on how narratives and frames are shared, contested and countered across and between issue networks and how narrative practices of persuasion are used to establish hyperlink network ties that construct web networks with specific political functions. Table of Contents Chapter One: Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 1 Literature Review ...................................................................................................................................... 6 Framing and Narratives in Social Movements ...................................................................................... 7 Narratives, Networks, and New Technology ...................................................................................... 13 Taking Narrative, Network and Framing Concepts to Website Networks ......................................... 17 Research Questions ................................................................................................................................. 18 Research Methods ................................................................................................................................... 20 Research Methods Rationale ............................................................................................................... 21 Methods and Results of Data Collection ............................................................................................. 29 Methods of Data Analysis: HNA and Narrative Analysis .................................................................. 35 Why Study Tibet: The Tibet Movement and CCP propaganda framing contest as a case study ............ 37 Organization of Chapters ........................................................................................................................ 38 Chapter Two: The Tibet Movement issue network..................................................................................... 41 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................. 41 Historical Storytelling: Framing contests and contextualizing present day Tibet .................................. 43 Tibet’s Imperial Age: Independence before the Mongolian Empire ................................................... 45 The Mongolian and Manchurian Empires: Subjugation versus the priest-patron relationship ........... 48 An Occupied Tibet: Framing history through polarization-vilification strategies .............................. 53 Human Rights Stories: Intersecting framing strategies to persuade and mobilize web users ................. 58 Tibetans as a People of Peace ............................................................................................................. 59 Human Rights Violations, Framing and Resonance ........................................................................... 62 The Future Status of Tibet: A frame dispute within the movement ........................................................ 77 Conclusion .............................................................................................................................................. 80 Chapter Three: The CCP propaganda issue network .................................................................................. 83 i Introduction ............................................................................................................................................. 83 Historical Narratives: Counterframing processes and contextualizing present day Tibet ...................... 86 The Tubo Kingdom: Establishing intimate ties between Tibetans and Han ....................................... 89 The Yuan Dynasty: Tibet is “officially” established as a part of China ............................................. 94 Ming and Qing Dynasties and the Nationalist Government: Stories of continuous control and increasing administration of Tibet ...................................................................................................... 97 The Peaceful Liberation: The end of Tibetan history and silence of the cultural revolution ............ 100 Human Rights Stories: Counterframing and limiting web user participation and engagement with Tibet .............................................................................................................................................................. 104 Old Tibet as a Feudal Serfdom ......................................................................................................... 106 The End of Feudal Serfdom: Transforming international human rights frames ............................... 109 Happiness and Celebration: Enhancing the credibility of human rights frames through visual media .......................................................................................................................................................... 119 Foreigners and Frame Credibility: Limiting engagement and encouraging tourism ........................ 121 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................ 125 Chapter Four: Network and narrative relationships .................................................................................. 128 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................... 128 The Tibet Movement Issue Network .................................................................................................... 129 Hyperlink Network Analysis in the Tibet Movement Issue Network ............................................... 130 Qualitative Hyperlink Analysis in the CCP Issue Network: Linking and narrative relationships .... 134 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................................ 159 The CCP Propaganda Issue Network .................................................................................................... 160 Hyperlink Network Analysis in the CCP Issue Network: Network and narrative relationships ...... 161 Qualitative Hyperlink Analysis in the CCP Issue Network: Linking and narrative relationships .... 163 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................................ 170 Conclusion: Comparisons of narrative-network relationships in the issue networks ........................... 170 Chapter Five: Conclusion ......................................................................................................................... 174 ii Introduction ........................................................................................................................................... 174 Network-Narrative Relationships within and between the Two Issue Networks ............................. 176 Mixed Methods for Analyzing Network-Narrative Relationships .................................................... 192 Future Avenues of Research ............................................................................................................. 195 Epilogue ................................................................................................................................................ 199 References ................................................................................................................................................. 204 Appendices ...............................................................................................................................................
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