@article{ac91ee44223f48d88526a9bb87992bbf,
title = "#MeToo in China: The Dynamic of Digital Activism against Sexual Assault and Harassment in Higher Education",
abstract = "This study focuses on digital activism against sexual misconduct in higher education in China. It demonstrates the dynamic of digital activism in an authoritarian regime, explicating how different stakeholders are involved in addressing sexual violence. While the hashtag #MeToo connotes the transnational effort to use social media to demonstrate the prevalence and magnitude of sexual violence, we also highlight the importance of local experience in the power struggle between grassroots digital advocacy and state institutions and within state institutions such as the news media, universities, and policy-making bodies, with their respective histories and development trajectories. Using social media to fight sexual violence creates possibilities for change in a situation where is difficult to act independently. The study not only contributes to our understanding of the complexity of digital activism against sexual violence in an authoritarian state but also highlights the strengths and weaknesses in each effort.",
author = "Liao, {Sara Xueting} and Luqiu, {Rose L W}",
note = "Funding Information: In the bleak situation of anti–sexual harassment in higher education and continuing feminist activism, Dr. Luo Xixi{\textquoteright}s case in early 2018 represents the culmination of a public crisis. On New Year{\textquoteright}s Day 2018, an overseas Chinese academic, Luo Xixi, alleged that her former professor, Chen Xiaowu at Beihang University, had sexually assaulted her twelve years previously. Claiming to have been encouraged by the #MeToo movement, Luo recounted her story on Weibo. The post went viral, triggered heated online discussions, and forced Beihang University to strip Chen of his position as executive vice director and investigate the case. He was also later removed from the list of Changjiang (Yangtze River) Scholars, a program sponsored by the Ministry to reward individuals for extraordinary academic contributions. The Ministry also promised to establish a mechanism to prevent sexual harassment at colleges and universities (Cheng 2018). Luo{\textquoteright}s case was often cited as the first #MeToo disclosure that was widely covered by the Chinese news media. Following Luo{\textquoteright}s allegation, more cases of sexual misconduct in higher education have been exposed on social media. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022 The University of Chicago. All rights reserved. Published by The University of Chicago Press.",
year = "2022",
month = mar,
day = "1",
doi = "10.1086/717712",
language = "English",
volume = "47",
pages = "741--764",
journal = "Signs",
issn = "0097-9740",
publisher = "University of Chicago",
number = "3",
}
