China Perspectives and Perspectives Chinoises: Call for papers
Much less is known, however, about the more diversified forms of power that are embedded in Internet governance, broadly conceived as the incremental conception, implementation, regulation, management and uses of Internet networks and services. Political positions and ideological visions are embedded in technological choices, from the layout of physical networks and routers to the development of applications like search engines or expression platforms. The crafting, implementation and interpretation of regulatory measures are also of crucial importance in framing the users’ agency, and so do business models, funding or pricing issues among other aspects.
These issues are not only in the hands of central and local governments, but also of a variety of more or less independent agencies like registrars, self-regulation associations, private companies, individual developers and hackers. Users, either individually or collectively, also contribute to building the characteristics of the Chinese Internet, as they may adopt or not online services, complain about particular features or even use them in a way that was not foreseen by the developers or regulators. In other words, these various aspects of Internet governance offer insights on the complex and often ambiguous (power) relationships between the local and central government, private actors and Chinese citizens.
It is all the more important to further document these aspects as China has become more assertive on the global stage, and now strives to push Chinese interests through technological standards, economic and cultural domination and global Internet governance schemes. As a result, Chinese positions carry increasing weight on such global issues as net neutrality, copyright, privacy, or freedom of speech, to mention but a few.
China Perspectives thus plans to publish a special feature on Internet governance in China, which will cover these aspects from a multidisciplinary perspective, including law, political science, political economy, political sociology, communication, or international relations.
Contributions are welcome on such topics as:
- the political and ideological foundations of Internet development in China
- the political stakes of technological choices
- the central / local relationship within the Chinese administration and Internet service providers
- the role of businesses
- the political economy of the Internet in China
- the motivations and stakes of the Chinese positions on global Internet governance innovative usage of Internet services, apps etc.
- the maker / hacker movement and its role in the development of the Chinese Internet (list not exhaustive)
