Full metadata record
| DC Field | Value | Language |
|---|---|---|
| dc.contributor | Faculty of Humanities | en_US |
| dc.contributor.advisor | Liu, Ming (CBS) | en_US |
| dc.contributor.advisor | Ngai, Sing-bik Cindy (CBS) | en_US |
| dc.creator | Chen, Fangfang | - |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://theses.lib.polyu.edu.hk/handle/200/14351 | - |
| dc.language | English | en_US |
| dc.publisher | Hong Kong Polytechnic University | en_US |
| dc.rights | All rights reserved | en_US |
| dc.title | Space science communication on social media by China and the United States : a corpus-assisted discourse study | en_US |
| dcterms.abstract | This study aims to contribute to the development of an integrated analytical framework for analysing space science communication by culturally and socially diverse nations in the context of social media. The rising global interest in space exploration, coupled with either passive or superficial public support for space exploration as a state-initiated project linked to national security and global influence, underscores the importance of the discursive capacity of governmental space science communication. Given that China and the United States are leading nations in terms of investment and attention to space exploration, they provide an ideal basis for comparative analysis. | en_US |
| dcterms.abstract | The Socio-Dialectical Approach (SDA) of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) serves as the theoretical framework for this research, integrating the concepts of interdiscursivity, speech acts for rapport management, and positioning theory to form an analytical structure. This framework views space science communication as discourse, encompassing three levels: text, discursive practice, and social practice. It aims to understand the relationship between the linguistic realisation, discursive features, and social structures of space science communication from a socio-dialectical perspective. | en_US |
| dcterms.abstract | Separate Chinese and English corpora were constructed by collecting data from Sina Weibo and X (formerly Twitter). On each platform, posts were gathered from the three most-followed governmental science agencies engaged in space exploration communication, covering the period from April 1, 2023, to October 1, 2023. This six-month dataset forms the basis for the study, which employs corpus-assisted critical discourse analysis and quantitative content analysis as its primary research methods. The study examines linguistic units at three levels (discourse types at the macro level, posts at the meso level, and addressing terms as tokens at the micro level), ensuring a comprehensive and complementary analytical approach. | en_US |
| dcterms.abstract | The findings indicate that U.S. governmental science agencies prioritise maintaining intellectual rigour and asserting scientific expertise in space science communication. In contrast, Chinese governmental science agencies strive to meet diverse expectations by aligning with governmental agendas while engaging in a more conversational interaction with the audience than their English-language counterparts. These differences can be attributed to factors such as the historical development of space exploration, cultural distinctions, financial resources sustaining space programmes, and ideological influences. However, the endeavour to meet diverse expectations, as demonstrated in Chinese social media posts, does not necessarily imply a more equal or participatory model of space science communication. Linguistic features such as topic control reflect underlying power relations, indicating that the competitive discursive strategy primarily serves to support the communication objectives of Chinese governmental science agencies in their institutional role. | en_US |
| dcterms.abstract | This study is significant both theoretically and practically. Theoretically, it integrates interdiscursivity, speech acts, and positioning within CDA, contributing to the development of an analytical framework for examining how space science communication engages social actors across different cultural contexts. Practically, it highlights space science communication as a distinct domain within science communication. By examining linguistic variations between English-language and non-English-language contexts, the study offers insights into how space science communication operates across different national and cultural settings. | en_US |
| dcterms.extent | x, 184 pages : color illustrations | en_US |
| dcterms.isPartOf | PolyU Electronic Theses | en_US |
| dcterms.issued | 2025 | en_US |
| dcterms.educationalLevel | DALS | en_US |
| dcterms.educationalLevel | All Doctorate | en_US |
| dcterms.LCSH | Communication in science | en_US |
| dcterms.LCSH | Critical discourse analysis | en_US |
| dcterms.LCSH | Social media | en_US |
| dcterms.LCSH | Space sciences | en_US |
| dcterms.LCSH | Hong Kong Polytechnic University -- Dissertations | en_US |
| dcterms.accessRights | restricted access | en_US |
Files in This Item:
| File | Description | Size | Format | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8792.pdf | For All Users (off-campus access for PolyU Staff & Students only) | 2.49 MB | Adobe PDF | View/Open |
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