Choreographing digital love: materiality, emotionality, and
morality in video-mediated communication between
Chinese migrant parents and their left-behind children
Dublin Core
Title
Choreographing digital love: materiality, emotionality, and
morality in video-mediated communication between
Chinese migrant parents and their left-behind children
morality in video-mediated communication between
Chinese migrant parents and their left-behind children
Subject
video-mediated communication, migration, left-behind children, video-based ethnography, video analysis, conversation analysis
Description
Video-mediated communication (VMC) has become particularly important for geographically dispersed families. Drawing on a 2-year video-based
ethnographic study of under-resourced Chinese rural-to-urban migrant parents and their left-behind children, this article captures on-site distant
parent–child VMC. Applying qualitative video analysis to study video calls, this article focuses on how people “choreograph” these video calls
and investigates the improvised composition of actions and activities in mediated environment. The findings reveal that people coordinate the
materiality, amplify the emotionality, and underpin the morality of love to sustain intimate relationships. Multigenerational parties, including
parents, children, and grandparents, actively manage their connections through the moment-by-moment unfolding of choreographed actions in
VMC. This study also highlights the bittersweet experiences, including the tension, contradictions, and asymmetries, among migrant parents,
children, and the caregivers.
ethnographic study of under-resourced Chinese rural-to-urban migrant parents and their left-behind children, this article captures on-site distant
parent–child VMC. Applying qualitative video analysis to study video calls, this article focuses on how people “choreograph” these video calls
and investigates the improvised composition of actions and activities in mediated environment. The findings reveal that people coordinate the
materiality, amplify the emotionality, and underpin the morality of love to sustain intimate relationships. Multigenerational parties, including
parents, children, and grandparents, actively manage their connections through the moment-by-moment unfolding of choreographed actions in
VMC. This study also highlights the bittersweet experiences, including the tension, contradictions, and asymmetries, among migrant parents,
children, and the caregivers.
Creator
Yumei Gan
Source
https://doi.org/10.1093/jcmc/zmad006
Date
3 March 2023
Contributor
PERI IRAWAN
Format
PDF
Language
ENGLISH
Type
TEXT
Files
Collection
Citation
Yumei Gan, “Choreographing digital love: materiality, emotionality, and
morality in video-mediated communication between
Chinese migrant parents and their left-behind children,” Repository Horizon University Indonesia, accessed May 20, 2025, https://repository.horizon.ac.id/items/show/8679.
morality in video-mediated communication between
Chinese migrant parents and their left-behind children,” Repository Horizon University Indonesia, accessed May 20, 2025, https://repository.horizon.ac.id/items/show/8679.