UNIVERSITY OF MACAU DEPARRMENT OF COMMUNICATION A comparative study on the perceived responsibility of Internet Speech between university students in Macao and US By CHAN IN SAN, REBECCA Student ID : M-A8-5553-6 Supervisor: Dr. Wu Mei A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts at the University of Macao February, 2011
I Abstract The development of the internet technology is a mixed blessing: On the one hand, it facilitates mass communication at a global scale and provides an extremely efficient channel for ordinary people to voice their opinions; on the other hand, under the shield of anonymity, verbal abuse, in the name of the freedom of speech, is quite common on the internet, resulting in a subculture of hate speech in the virtual world. Therefore, the responsibility of internet speech in balancing the right to free speech and its harm to society has become a major concern among scholars of cyberspace culture in recent years. Focusing on the perception of hate speech and the willingness to contribute in stopping its spread, this thesis examines how the freedom of speech and social morality influence the perceived responsibility of the internet speech under different cultural contexts through qualitative analysis of selected group discussions among 10 university students in Macao and US, who were asked to comment on four real life hate speech cases from Canada, Hong Kong, China and Macao. Research findings indicate that cultural differences play an important role in affecting how people understand free speech and social morality, which in turns influence the perceived responsibility for making internet speech. Students from Macao are generally more mindful with their internet speeches and concerned more about the consequences of hate speech on society than the US students; nevertheless, to different extents, students of both groups contribute in the circulation and practice of hate speech on the internet.
II Keywords: Internet speech, Freedom of speech, Responsibility, Hate speech, Cultural Differences
III Declaration I declare that the thesis represents my own work, except there due acknowledgement is made, and it has not be been previously included in a thesis, dissertation or report submitted to this University or to any other institution for a degree, diploma or other qualification.
IV Acknowledgements First of all, I would like to extend my heartily gratitude to my supervisor, Prof. Wu Mei, for her continuous encouragement, suggestions and guidance throughout the whole writing process. I remember at the very beginning of the thesis writing, I was not be able to come up with a very clear idea of what this thesis was about. But Prof. Wu was so kind and patient to help me working out my thesis topic. Also, she guided me in finding US students to participate in the focus group discussion of this study. Without Prof. Wu s help and guidance, I may have not been able to finish this thesis. I am also heartily grateful to Prof. Chen Huailin and Dr. Li Xiaoqin for their time in reading my thesis and giving me thought-provoking suggestions and comments. Moreover, I would like to thank my friends and colleagues for their assistance and encouragement, especially my classmates in my program. I will miss the happy times we have had together in the past two years. Last but not least, I can hardly express my love for my family, who are always with me when I am in hardship. Their unfailing support and understanding give me energy and courage to overcome stress and pressure. I wish the completion of this thesis will bring some joy to them as well.
V Table of Contents Abstract Declaration Acknowledgements Chapter I Introduction... 1 The objectives of this study.. 2 The significance of this study.... 3 The background of this study... 5 Global Communication is facilitated under the Internet Technology.. 5 Freedom of Speech and Internet Speech.. 6 The Role of Internet Speech in Society... 7 The Rise of Hate Speech.. 8 The Diversity of Hate Speech.. 9 The Rise of Hate Speech in the United States. 12 The Rise of Hate Speech in Macao.. 13 The Influence of Hate Speech on Society 15 Chapter II Literature Review.. 19 Freedom of Speech and its Responsibility. 19 Individualism vs. Collectivism.. 21 Different Values on Free Speech in China and US... 23 Individualism vs. Collectivism in Macao... 26 Values on Free Speech in Macao... 28
VI Responsibility and Rationality... 28 Real Name System and Responsibility.. 33 Theoretical Structure.. 36 Chapter III Methodology... 39 Research Method... 39 Focus Groups. 44 Discussion Procedure and Format. 44 Chapter IV Finding and Results... 48 Comparison on the Identification of Hate Speech. 48 Comparison on the Ability to Rationalizing Hate Speech... 60 Comparison on the Willingness to Act Responsibly.. 66 Comparison on the Willingness to Support the Real Name System... 72 Further Interpretation... 82 Chapter V Conclusion and Discussion 84 Limitations... 90 Further Research Directions. 91 Appendix A... 92 Appendix B... 99 Appendix C... 104 Reference.. 145