Media use and Chinese national social class identity: based on the mediating effect of social capital

• Published in: Current psychology (New Brunswick, N.J.) N.J.), 2024-03, Vol.43 (12), p.10509-10527
• Main Authors: Zhang, Jiaxing, Yang, Anuo, Jilili, Maitixirepu, Liu, Linping, Feng, Shuaishuai
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Behavioral Science and Psychology; Psychology; Social capital; Social classes; Social networks; Social Sciences
• ISSN: 1046-1310; 1936-4733
• DOI: 10.1007/s12144-023-05146-3

The modern social media impact over the subjective cognition of the individuals should not be underestimated. According to the Chinese Comprehensive Social Survey data 2017, this article constructs a multiple mediation model as the mediating variable with social capital, and studies social capital’s mediating role in the process of media use affecting social class identity. The research found that: (1) The application of established media and newly media has a chief impact on class identity; (2) Compared with new media, traditional media has a significant control over on class identity; (3) The two dimensions of social capital both demonstrates a considerable positive mediating role in the procedure of traditional media influencing class identification, and the mediation effect of social networks is stronger than social trust; (4) A significant role is being played by social media mediating role to process new media making class influential as the mediating impact of of having social trust is un-significant. The study's novelty lies in using social capital as an intermediary variable, exposing one of the impact channels of media consumption on class identity, and giving a new explanatory framework for the class identity influence mechanism.