Social Media Lab’s Public Guest Talk: “Sinophobia, misogyny, fascism, and  more: A multi-ethnic understanding of anti-Asian narratives in Twitter” by K. Hazel Kwon 

By
Social Media Lab
-

Social Media Lab’s Public Guest Talk:​

“Sinophobia, misogyny, fascism, and  more: A multi-ethnic understanding of anti-Asian narratives on Twitter”

When: Tuesday, May 30, 2023 at 2-3pm (Toronto time)​

Location: Online (via Zoom) and In-Person (Ted Rogers School of Management)

About the Event​

As part of Asian Heritage Month in Canada, the Social Media Lab is pleased to present a guest talk by Dr. Hazel Kwon on her ongoing work exploring the pervasiveness of anti-Asian narratives that exist on Twitter.

The talk will examine the complex issues surrounding sinophobia, misogyny, fascism, and various other elements contributing to the formation of anti-Asian narratives online. It will focus on the interplay between ethnicity, social media, and the construction of harmful stereotypes that impact Asian communities worldwide.

Please RSVP to secure your spot. The event is open to the public but might be of special interest to individuals studying social media, cultural studies, and diversity and inclusion.

Exact location of the talk or Zoom access details will be provided upon registration.

Reserve My Spot

Guest Speaker:

Dr. K. Hazel Kwon is an Associate Professor at Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, and the founder and Lead Researcher of Media Information, Data, and Society Lab at Arizona State University.  Her research interests focus on social/digital media and society, with a particular emphasis on the ways in which digitally-mediated communication influences collective sense-making and (anti)sociality. Recently, she has been working on disruptive online communication such as incivility, cyber-rumoring, and mis/disinformation. Some of her research has been supported by DoD, NSF, SSRC, and Gates Foundation.

Dr. Kwon served as the U.S.-Korea NextGen Scholar (2020-2021) at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. She has received Herbert S. Dordick Dissertation Award (3rd Place) from the International Communication Association (ICA); Emerging Scholars Award and Jung-Sook Lee Award from the Association for Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC); Kappa Tao Alpha Research Award from National Honor Society in Journalism and Mass Communication; Top Faculty Award from Chinese Communication Association; Top Debut Faculty Award from Broadcasting Education Association; and Top Four Paper Award from National Communication Association (NCA). Her publications have appeared in multiple high impact journals.

Abstract:

Anti-Asian hate/toxic/racial speech has recently increased, especially in response to the outbreak of COVID-19. However, the heavy focus on the COVID-19 context and subsequent Sinophobia in recent academic research may have limitedly offered insights applicable to pan-Asian communities beyond Chinese communities. To fill this gap, this presentation underscores cross-ethnic contextual understanding by taking a multi-ethnic approach to identify and review anti-Asian narratives expressed in Twitter. 

About the Social Media Lab​

Located in the heart of downtown Toronto, the Social Media Lab is a multi- and interdisciplinary research laboratory at Ted Rogers School of Management at Toronto Metropolitan University. The lab studies how social media is changing the way people and organizations communicate, share information, conduct business and form communities online, and how these changes impact society. The lab’s research seeks to advance the public’s understanding of the benefits and pitfalls of social media adoption.

The Social Media Lab was established in 2010 and is the first of its kind in North America. It is led by co-directors, Anatoliy Gruzd (PhD) – Dir. of Research and Philip Mai (JD) – Director of Business and Communications. The lab is internationally recognized and attracts a diverse range of outstanding multidisciplinary scholars from around the world each year. It is a leader in social media studies and is the convener of the annual International Conference on Social Media and Society (#SMSociety).