Course:ASIA319/2020/“Demoralising"(喪)

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Introduction

Sang culture - roughly translated to “demoralised culture” (丧文化 sàngwénhuà), refers to a state of demotivation, self-loath and an apathetic attitude towards life shared by Chinese youths. The popularity of Sang culture has rapidly risen in popularity amongst the middle-class Chinese youths, leading even as far to developments of various marketing strategies. Hence, the internet subculture has been accepted and circulated by a significant portion of the youths and finally expanded to take its part in the Chinese economy. Below will inquire on the roots of the popularity of the Sang culture, its political and cultural implications, and examine the perspectives of both the scholars and the authorities to illuminate the driving force of this mass phenomenon of pessimism and demotivation.

Sang character

The Genesis of Sang

It was in July 2016, when the image of “Slouching Ge You” from the Chinese sit-com show I Love My Family became a solid representation of the feeling of disenfranchisement and demotivation among the youths in China. In the show, the famous actor Ge You glues himself on the couch “unemployed and broke and consistently failed in his filial responsibilities”[1]. His character was in fact supposed to be an example of who you shouldn’t be as an adult. Economically unproductive, unmotivated and lacking filial piety - a great taint in the eyes of the Chinese society. However, this pessimism towards life reflected through the image, evoked wide sympathy and soon became a cultural phenomenon seen everywhere on the web and onto the streets as commodities.

The rise of this subculture was also inspired by foreign media artefacts of similar cynical messages, that inspired the “ wenyi qingnian  - young, artsy hipsters”[2]. The most often cited artefacts include the American animation Bojack Horseman, about a self-loathing, alcoholic humanoid horse struggling to accept his past fame as a Hollywood star. From East Asia, the Japanese character Gudetama produced by Sanrio that lives a lazy, apathetic life, as well as the movie “Moratorium Tamako”, which follows a university graduate who spends her time “just eating and sleeping throughout the four seasons of the year”[3].

As the subcultured gained empathy and publicity, the Sang subculture developed into a multi-faceted concept. According to Tan and Cheng, the different negativity represented in the Sang subculture would be categorised. First, is the Slouching Geyou discussed earlier - depicting “Sang as a waste”, hence the individual’s feeling of defeatism towards not being able to produce anything out of their lives. Another popular representation is the “Salted Fish”, a colloquial expression of a corpse - showing “Sang as disenfranchisement”. Popularised by the character in the film Shaolin Soccer, who questioned how individuals without dreams and aspirations in life can even be differentiated from a corpse - “做人如果没有梦想，和咸鱼有什么区别呢?”[4]. Finally, the image of Pepe the Frog reflects “Sang as disconsolation”[5] - the feeling of loss of the youths who are unable to relate to the discourse of “harmony, positivity and dreams” promoted by the central government.

Glossary of its explicit dictionary meanings

This section will review the traditional use of the word Sang 丧. Sang was traditionally associated with the notions of funeral, death and loss. Below is the summary of definitions offered by various online dictionaries.  

Sang1[6]: Mourning, (old) corpse 

哭丧 [ kū sāng ]: to wail at a funeral; formal wailing while offering sacrifice to the departed

凶丧 [ xiōng sāng ]: funeral arrangements

Sang4: To lose something abstract but important (courage, authority, one's life etc) / to be bereaved of (one's spouse etc) / to die / disappointed / discouraged

丧失 [ sàng shī ]: to lose; to forfeit

丧命 [ sàng mìng ]: to lose one's life

Bence notes that in contemporary Chinese culture, the word Sang 丧 lost its original meaning of mourning. However, the connotation of “loss” is still retained - the word now describes one’s “inactivity/ being without vitality, manifesting in bad moods, negative thoughts and hopelessness”[7]. Hence the modern Chinese youths are using the word not to mourn the death of significant people. but is mourning the loss of their aspirations, the dream for a positive future and their motivation to struggle for a better life. Interestingly, Tan and Cheng note the relationship of the word Sang to the traditional Chinese concept of Lien to highlight the changing attitude of the Chinese youths towards the traditionally valued notion of pride and success. Considering Lien as a form of “social sanction for enforcing moral standards and an internalised sanction’, Sang as a communicative practice sharing ‘low’ feelings on social media is thus contrary to traditional notions of face loss”[8].

An elaboration of its variegated meanings, actual usages, and value-loaded implications

The meaning of 丧 （Sàng）in Contemporary Chinese Culture

The explicit meaning of Sang: “Pronounced "sung", this Chinese word means "mourning", and is now the trending word to reflect the reduced work ethic, a lack of self-motivation, and an apathetic demeanour felt by urban, middle-class Chinese young people[9].” The implicit connection of Sang: Although the external representation is similar to self-surrender, the cultural core of most young people is still "not giving up self" according to their subsequent actions, which is different from the positive energy advocated[10]. However, according to the Birmingham School of England, subcultures can sometimes be regarded as a counterculture that directly challenges the dominant culture in a revolutionary and radical way politically, but this direct confrontation will not last very long [11]. For a long time, "Sang culture" as a new youth subculture, also has a strong feature of ritual resistance when it comes into public view. The word Sang has come into public's eyes around 2016, the term (丧) became known throughout China and those who identified with it were seen as misfits to the up-positive ideology of the Socialist Core Values in describing who dedicated oneself to work.

Words associated with 丧（Sàng）

Sang(丧) by itself is representative of a mood that’s self-denial and lack of self-motivation due to the heavy workload and fast pace of life. Usually by itself is a mood or constant emotion that endures by a person, and the popular online trend of "别丧了" (Bié sàng le) as a cheering advocation to someone that's upset and in a mood of self-denial and lacking motivation. And "Sang culture" (丧文化) is a term that is widely used in scholarly researches and general discussion in the society.[12] Moreover, in Chinese culture, Sang Culture is a popular term that is widely used on social media and as a marketing strategy. In 2017, the Sang Tea (丧茶) pop-up shop was a successful hit in Shanghai after the widely spread of Sang culture online among the youth generation.According to Cao, the decoration of Sang Tea is in black and grey, and the tea flavour includes Mediocre Black Tea ( Lùlù wúwéi hóngchá), Not-slimmer Fruit Tea (Shòu bù xiàqù guǒ chá) and etc, and sugar level includes "Sang to extreme of no sugar", "70% sadness and 30% sugar" and more[13]. The brand vision of Sang Tea is 享受这杯小确丧 (Xiǎngshòu zhè bēi xiǎo què sàng), 小确丧(xiǎo què sàng) in which means the small but definite dejection, the fleeting feeling of tiredness when the body is hollowed out.[14]

Counterpart terms in any Western or non-Chinese cultures.

There are some common counterpart terms in Japanese and American (Hollywood) cultures that share a similar meaning with the sang culture in China. For example, the popular Japanese cartoon character ‘Gudetama’, which is referred to the ‘lazy egg’. The term ‘Gudetama’ can be separated into 2 different parts: ‘gudegude’ conveys the meanings of being idle and inactive in Japanese; while ‘tamago’ means egg in Japanese. It is said to be the most unmotivated egg ever who has no desire to live[15]. The facial expressions and the postures of Gudetama give people the impression of laziness and the lack of energy. The lazy egg just resembles a similar attitude and outlook with the Ge You Tan and is also embraced by a lot of young people and netizens in China and other Asian countries nowadays. In addition, the Japanese culture is also associated with the sang culture in some other ways. For instance, a couple of Japanese novels, TV, and film series are considered as ‘sang dramas’ such as Escape is Shameful But Useful (THE name!), Setoutsumi, Tamako in Moratorium and Quartet[16]. They express a notion of idleness, which is central to the mindset of sang culture. The lazy daily lives of the main characters are relatable to many of the modern young people. Apart from that, the American comedy series 'Bojack Horseman' also reflects the same mentality of sang culture. This series and the character have become a cult favorite among teenagers these days. Bojack Horseman is famous for his self-loathing, cynicism, and desperate sayings such as ‘everything is because of the society’[17].

Summary of the multiple meanings in their distinct contexts.

In Chinese culture:

1) The sang culture generally means ‘very vaguely, the idea that you've lost something and are feeling horrible about it’[18], and ‘reduced work ethic, a lack of self-motivation, and an apathetic demeanor’. Phrases like ‘I’m just a waste of space’, ‘I don’t care all that much for life’, and ‘I’m listless to the point of despair’ are common among young people[19]. This post-subculture illustrates the bleak, idle, hopeless, and dispirited perspectives on life.

Poster of Sung Tea, xiao que 'sang'

2) The sang culture is actually an alternate form of the popular notion of ‘xiao que xing’, which refers to the feeling of tiny, real happiness. Moreover, if ‘xiao que xing’ is an appreciation of the tiny little happiness to be found in life’s monotony, then the sang culture has a similar emphasis, and sometimes an exaggeration, of a pervasive feeling of loss[20].

3) Partly because of the one-child policy starting from the 1980s in China, the young people from this generation are facing enormous pressure from their parents and even grandparents. The young people are sometimes hopeless and weary due to the huge social and family pressures. And the mentality of sang culture is a means of self-preservation. By the deliberate self-loathing, the young people in China can lower their expectations and relieve their stress. In making their plans as unambitious as possible, they will never have to endure the feeling of failure. In fact, sang culture resonates with young people not because they aren’t interested in success. Nevertheless, more and more young people describe themselves as sang just because they feel that it is futile to pursue the traditional notions of success[21]. Being sang is also a rebellion against the striving of contemporary urban China, no matter the cost or hopes of achieving a goal[22].

In non-Chinese cultures:

In Japan, the downwardly mobile society is caused by its sluggish economy, which has failed to revive itself since the financial crisis of the early 1990s. The resulting lack of social mobility has turned many Japanese young people into defeatists[23]. Since then, a mindset similar to the sang culture has been engendered. Classic lines from some of the sang dramas are the demonstration of this notion. For example, ‘Why do we have to spend our youth running around, working up a sweat? Why can’t we just idly spend it by the side of the river?’ from Setoutsumi. Also, ‘I think it's unnecessary for everyone to be so motivated, it's not like we are competing against each other all the time! Not everyone desires to be rich and we just need to stay at the right spot in society’ from Quartet[24].

How dictionary meanings are transferred, distorted, or subverted?

The creation of sang culture is seen as a reflection of the current social problems. Nevertheless, this popular culture in China does not necessarily promote negative energy in society. As a matter of fact, this culture has become a ‘gimmick’ of the opportunistic businesses nowadays such as Sung Tea, Dried Fish emojis, sang t-shirts etc. are all the products of sang culture. These products actually provide entertainment and relaxation for the youngsters. People often make fun of these interesting and creative products and widely spread their ideas on the Internet. Most notably, this kind of post-subculture can be utilized as a tool to band the young people together. When they feel related to the ideas of sang culture, their sense of belonging will thus be developed. Although these products cannot help solve any of the social problems, they add a humorous twist when people are talking about the social pressures[25]. They also help boost the Chinese economy and GDP because of the huge sales. Therefore, the meaning of sang culture has in fact turned into a positive one, and is no longer viewed as a detrimental phenomenon in China.

Social, cultural, and political problems

Social problems related to Sang

Neo-tribes & Scene

“A happy day, I lied to myself”

As one of the conceptual frameworks, neo-tribes explain the precariousness and mobility of social relations under the post subcultural period. It focuses on the specific tone or psychosis that brings belonging to the members so that maintaining the emotional bond of the group[26]. In the context of China's comprehensive transformation, young people seek tribe members who share a common tone or psychosis. Many life pressures with the helplessness of reality create an emotional bond on the “sang” symbol 丧符号 and joins in such a rite for more creation. However, if there is a lack of critical regulation, the neo-tribes could be virally spreading negativeness among young people.

Canadian cultural theorist Will Straw argued that scenes often transcend particular localities ‘reflect[ing] and actualiz[ing] a particular state of relations between various populations and social groups’[27]. While due to the net world, the boundaries of certain social groups are blurred, becoming Large-scale online emotional catharsis parties without social titles and identities. “Sang” culture is formed by words, pictures, memes of bricolage and homology, then use of this for self-mockery on numbness and hopelessness. Young people usually talking about upset things with each other for ‘speaking bitterness’ 诉苦[28]. It is a universal solution for everyone while also easily in transmission and penetration among netizens.

The hidden worries of narcissism

American psychologist Christopher Lasch believes that personality traits related to narcissism have been universally present in daily life. The narcissists are empty in their hearts, suppressed with endless anger, manifested as unsatisfied but only verbal aspirations, and tense and self-deprecating humour. They focus on themselves so that they neglect actual changes in reality, which approaches “sang” culture[29]. Usually, those people hide in the virtual world and give up on responsibilities and obligations to others. In fact, under the virtual appearance, it just provides people with false satisfaction to conceal their inner loneliness and meet their social needs[30]. Such an ideology against the mainstream social expectation of “positive energy” 正能量 and “Chinese Dream” 中国梦[31].

Cultural problems associated with Sang

Lifestyle

British sociologist David Chaney offers a critical distinction between lifestyles and ways of life, which the lifestyles are ‘creative projects’ which rely on ‘displays of consumer competence’, while ‘ways of life’ are ‘typically associated with a more or less stable community [and] displayed in features such as shared norms, rituals, patterns of social order and probably a distinctive dialect’ [32].  

“Buddhist Social First Code”
“Buddhist Social First Code”

The young generation was expected to be self-sacrificing and devoted to the communist revolutionary goal rather than develop their personal wills. Buddha-like 佛系 is a laissez-faire attitude to life. Youth have a Buddha-like mindset to live their lives and try to take everything with no social pressure. Such a life attitude provides shelter for many teenagers.

“Life is quite tiring,” commented 23-year-old Guo Jia, a self-identified Buddhist Youth. A year ago, Guo moved to Beijing to pursue a career in finance and meet the high expectations he and his family had set for him. Everything in China’s capital city, however, made him anxious. But things have improved now that Guo has learned how to let go. As a Buddhist Youth, he has learned to accept the things he cannot change and go with the flow: “I haven’t been able to stop caring about everything, but these days I am generally calm and unperturbed. It is enough to just be content with life.” (TheStraits Times)[33]

Some scholars consider certain attitudes could protect youth from fearful events, but also tend to lead them to be detached from almost everything which makes them stressed[34][35]. In other words, Buddha-like life attitudes can be problematic.

Potential political problems of Sang culture

Value nihilism

Value nihilism is psychological morbidity derived from the process of modern civilization, is more prominent in postmodern society. It means that people think that real life or self-existence is meaningless, they have lost the goal and motivation to continue striving and it is difficult to find the belief and direction of life. From the perspective of Contemporary China mainstream values, young people are vigorous and ambitious as the future of the country and the hope of the nation. However, the negative, numb, and even decadent image of "Sang" culture presented to the outside world is contrary to the vocabulary of "positive energy" and "main melody" 主旋律 advocated by the mainstream value concept, which impacts the mainstream ideology and promotes value nihilism[30][36]. The spread of emotions will even shape young people’s self-willing, degenerate 自甘堕落 and passive outlook on life消极避世.

Modern cynicism

Modern cynicism prevailing in postmodern society says that though there is a certain sense of dissatisfaction with reality, rather than abandoning moral persistence or conscience actions. People would have passive indulgence when the actual results do not match expectations, which is similar to “sang” culture.

British sociologist Anthony Giddens believes that cynicism is a mode of suppressing the emotional impact of anxiety through humour or boredom with the world. From this perspective, the tendency of modern cynicism is related to "sang". The social anxiety of the group is closely related, and some scholars believe that China has entered a post-modern society of "national anxiety" due to concerns about economic conditions, realistic pressure and work pressure, and high housing prices etc..[30] In addition, when faced with failure, the "sang" group seldom seek reason from themselves rather than attribute to external factors, and then feel everything is out of control and unchangeable[37]. Therefore, modern cynics actually have lost their confidence in the current social norms, they just pretend they do not care about the things for protecting themselves from another failure. The escaping excuse may result in denial and escapism in the long term.

Studies related to the Sang

New Media
"Ge You Tan"

Feng Yu published a journal that analyzes the role of new media under the sang cultural transmission, he interpreted “ Ge You Tan” as the origin of the sang culture online breakout, the propagation mode of new media blurs the boundary between receivers and transmitters which helps spread the sang culture.[38]

Communication Psychology

Jiamin Gu published a journal that analyzes sang culture from the perspective of propagation science and psychology, Gu suggested that the sang culture is a contradiction between obedience and rebellion, according to symbolic interaction which was proposed by George Herbert Mead and Charles Horton Cooley, when words and emojis related to sang are being received and sent continually, the senders and receivers are constructing the sang culture and giving the word meaning.[39]

Interpersonal Linguistic Communication

According to Junkai Xun, who analyzed the discourses and social changes of sang culture, he suggested that people should not worry too much about the social danger that the sang culture could cause, when sang culture is transmitted through all kinds of platforms and becomes even more diversified in order to lure people, it also flattens the content of sang culture which hardly supports the deeper content[40].

Conclusion

The Sang culture, derived from the original word that referred to funeral and mourning, recently emerged to explicitly refer to the feeling of self-denial and self- surrender. It is a complex social phenomenon subjected to a multitude of perspectives ranging from official critique of the negativity, to an approach that shows understanding to the pessimism, and to perspectives that suggest the sense of unity and defiance within the phenomenon. The popularity of the memes derived from the sang culture can be explained because many share the suffering from stress and frustration nowadays, and their pressure can be relieved by appreciating and making fun of all those creative pictures and emojis. A scholar even suggests that the action taken by the youth generation is “not giving up” - the prevalence of Sang is a different way to advocate positive energy in the PRC. Hence, the sang culture in a way helps encourage the younger generation to continue to live their lives regardless of the struggles ahead. The Sang culture as the typical representation of the Post-Subculture Era brings challenges and changes to scholars on the study of Asian teens. It encourages scholars to explore a new perspective of subcultural theory than traditional Birmingham School. It is a very complex socio-cultural phenomenon, the critique on post-subcultural studies, value nihilism, modern cynicism and the insinuation of narcissism definitely bring critical awareness to us and re-examine people’s life in the post-subculture era. As a future direction of the studies regarding this culture, scholars could track the changes made in the Sang culture as the society and economy moves on to identify the formation of new perspectives. Furthermore, the solution to this phenomenon of mass pessimism could be expanded on from a variety of disciplines.

References

  1. ↑ Tan & Cheng, Cohen & Shuxin (2020). "Sang subculture in post-reform China". Global Media and China. 5: 86–99 – via Sage.
  2. ↑ Zeng, Yuli (27 June 2017). [www.sixthtone.com/news/1000407/turn-off,-drop-out-why-young-chinese-are-abandoning-ambition "Turn Off, Drop Out: Why Young Chinese Are Abandoning Ambition"] Check |url= value (help). Sixth Tone.
  3. ↑ "Moratoriamu Tamako (2013)". IMDb.
  4. ↑ Sun, Fiahui (28 February 2018). "Sad Sangs".
  5. ↑ Tan & Cheng, Cohen & Shuxin (2020). "Sang subculture in post-reform China". Global Media and China. 5: 86–99.
  6. ↑ "Mandarin Chinese Character Etymology".
  7. ↑ Bence, Korányi. “Analysis of the Influence of Chinese Cultural Values on the Meaning and Usage of New Chinese Internet Words.” Dalarna University, School of Humanities and Media Studies, 2019
  8. ↑ Tan & Cheing, Cohen & Shuxin (2019). "Sang subculture in post-reform China". Global Media China. 5: 86–99 – via Sage.
  9. ↑ ""Sang"-culture: The current mood of young Chinese".
  10. ↑ Li, Yao (2019). "The Subculture Study on Chinese "Sang" Culture". 艺术科技 Art Science and Technology. 32: 117–118.
  11. ↑ 薛, 俊恺 (2019). "Change in discourse of "Sang culture" "丧文化"的话语变迁". 新闻研究导刊. 10: 222–224.
  12. ↑ 丁, 岚岚 (2019). "The dissolution and reconstruction of "Sang" cultural advertisement "丧"文化广告的消解与重构". 新闻研究导刊. 10: 198–199.
  13. ↑ 曹, 远 (2018). "The psychological analysis of the "Sang culture" behind the Sang Tea". 新闻研究导刊. 9: 70–71.
  14. ↑ "Sang Cha Baidu Baike".
  15. ↑ Tan, Xing Qi (2018). “China Has This Millennial Thing Called Sang Culture & It’s Worse Than Our Sian Half.” Mothership.
  16. ↑ Zeng, Yuli (2017). “Turn Off, Drop Out: Why Young Chinese Are Abandoning Ambition.” Sixth Tone.
  17. ↑ Elephant Room (2017). “The Culture of sang: a Generation Lying-down?” China Buzz Report.
  18. ↑ Elephant Room (2017). “The Culture of sang: a Generation Lying-down?” China Buzz Report.
  19. ↑ Zeng, Yuli (2017). “Turn Off, Drop Out: Why Young Chinese Are Abandoning Ambition.” Sixth Tone.
  20. ↑ Zeng, Yuli (2017). “Turn Off, Drop Out: Why Young Chinese Are Abandoning Ambition.” Sixth Tone.
  21. ↑ Zeng, Yuli (2017). “Turn Off, Drop Out: Why Young Chinese Are Abandoning Ambition.” Sixth Tone.
  22. ↑ Chen, Yawen & Munroe, Tony (2017). “For Chinese Millennials, Despondency Has a Brand Name.” Reuters.
  23. ↑ Zeng, Yuli (2017). “Turn Off, Drop Out: Why Young Chinese Are Abandoning Ambition.” Sixth Tone.
  24. ↑ Elephant Room (2017). “The Culture of sang: a Generation Lying-down?” China Buzz Report.
  25. ↑ Elephant Room (2017). “The Culture of sang: a Generation Lying-down?” China Buzz Report.
  26. ↑ Bennett, Andy (2011). "The post-subcultural turn: some reflections 10 years on". Journal of Youth Studies. 14(5): 493–506.
  27. ↑ Straw, W. (1991). "Systems of articulation, logics of change: communities and scenes in popular music". Cultural studies. 5(3): 368􏰐-388.
  28. ↑ Tan, K Cohen; Cheng, Shuxin (2020). "Sang subculture in post-reform China". Global Media and China. 5(1): 86–99 – via Sage.
  29. ↑ Liu, Yajing (2018). "The Shrinking Subject behind "Ge You Lying":The Interpretation of " Depression Culture" and its Countermeasures". China Youth Study. 4: 76–81.
  30. ↑ 30.0 30.1 30.2 Su, Hongyusn; Jia, Ruixin (2019). "后亚文化视阈下网络"丧文化"的社会表征及其反思". 现代传播. 41(5): 12–19.
  31. ↑ Liu, Yajing (2018). "The Shrinking Subject behind "Ge You Lying":The Interpretation of " Depression Culture" and its Countermeasures". China Youth Study. 4: 76–81.
  32. ↑ Chaney, D.C. (1996). Lifestyles. London: Routledge.
  33. ↑ Wisman, Anne (2018). "China's Latest Viral Sub-culture Dubbed "Buddhist Youth"". Buddhistdoor Global.
  34. ↑ Pu, Jianhua; Tong, Jingyao; Tang, Xinjian (2018). ""佛系青年"现象下的文化表征与社会心态透视". 学校党建与思想教育. 17: 31–33.
  35. ↑ Chen, Jing; Zhao, Bing (2019). ""佛系青年"人生观误区及其引导". 齐齐哈尔大学学报（哲学社会科学版）. 11: 144–147.
  36. ↑ M (2018). "大学生们的后现代虚无主义—丧文化". Douban. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
  37. ↑ Liu, Xinting (2020). "积极废人的痛快享乐与亚文化的抵抗式和解". 探索与争鸣. 8: 107–112.
  38. ↑ Yu, Feng (2016). "丧文化传播中新媒体的角色分析". 新闻研究导刊. 23: 81.
  39. ↑ Gu, Jiaming (2019). "传播心理学视角下的"丧文化"研究". 新闻研究导刊. 10(13): 52–53.
  40. ↑ Xue, Junkai (2019). ""丧文化"的话语变迁". 新闻研究导刊. 10(10): 222–224.


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