Options
From stigma to shared suffering: Tracing transformation in online representations of illness during coronavirus
Author(s)
Date Issued
2025
Journal
ISSN
2169-0251
2169-0235
Citation
Narrative Culture, 2025, vol. 12(1), pp. 82-102.
Type
Peer Reviewed Journal Article
Abstract
This research investigates a particular metaphor used in the pandemic narrative in China, the character yáng 羊 (sheep or goat), phonetically similar to yáng 阳 (positive), evolving into a narrative tool for those who tested positive for the virus. Drawing from Sontag's framework of illness metaphors, it examines the "sheep" metaphor collected from social media platforms such as Xiaohongshu, Twitter (X), and WeChat via discourse analysis. The research explores the narrative dynamics from an initial descriptor to a more complex narrative symbol to shed light on how the Chinese have coped with the pandemic.
Loading...
Availability at HKSYU Library
