A Traitor: Analyzing the case of Jackson Wang using Labeling Theory
Under Labeling Theory, is Jackson Wang deviant or not?
Patriotism or Betrayal: the Dilemma of Jackson Wang
In 2019, hundreds of thousands of people were in the streets of Hongkong to fight for democracy and accountability from the government (Einbinder, 2019). According to Einbinder, the Hongkong protests that lasted for months were sparked by the attempt to pass an extradition law that would allow China to have greater control of Hongkong’s political and legal systems. Such an attempt would restrict Hongkong from enjoying legal autonomy and the benefits of democracy.
At the height of the protests, many Chinese celebrities publicly expressed their support for China, and one of them was Jackson Wang. Wang is a Hongkong-born member of the Korean boy group called GOT7. On Weibo, Wang posted that he is a “flag-bearer” guarding the national flag of China. Wang’s outward expression of patriotism garnered negative reactions from pro-democracy activists. They denounced Wang as a traitor and threatened him online. Some even used Twitter to urge Wang to cancel GOT7’s concerts in Hongkong using the hashtag #JYPE_CancelGOT7HKConcerts (Einbinder, 2019).
Jackson Wang as a Traitor: the Labeling Theory
Wang’s case is consistent with the ideas of Labeling theory (LT). LT holds that deviance occurs if a social audience judges and labels a behavior as deviant (Clinard & Meier, 2011). According to Clinard and Meier, LT incorporates two components in its explanation of deviance: the reactivist conception and the theory of secondary deviation. The reactivist conception of deviance maintains that Wang’s decision to express support for the Chinese government is deviant depending on the reaction of the social audience, which is based on what they deem as acceptable. It means that supporting your own country is not necessarily right or wrong. It is possible that for Chinese nationals, Wang’s patriotism is not deviant. However, in the context of Hongkong protests, Wang’s support for China can be considered deviant and subjected to criticisms from activists.
The theory of secondary deviation is also evident in the case of Wang. Secondary deviance is characterized by a behavior produced by the adjustment to the problems caused by the label (Clinard & Meier, 2011). In other words, the stigmatizing label produced by negative reactions to the act can result in more deviant behavior. In this case, the responses received by Wang probably caused him to continue to express his support for China. Since Wang is deemed a traitor in Hongkong but a patriot in China, he stood more firmly for the latter. Such a claim is evidenced by his continued support for China despite controversies. For instance, Wang is one of the several Chinese celebrities who cut ties with huge brands like Nike and Adidas due to the anti-Xinjiang cotton controversy in 2021 (Yuche, 2021). Such a bold move signifies his firm stand behind the Xinjiang cotton industry despite forced labor issues.
Jackson Wang and Labeling Theory: Conclusion
To answer the question: is Jackson Wang is deviant or not? The answer is it depends. On the one hand, Wang’s expression of nationalism is not considered deviant by Chinese supporters. On the other hand, Wang’s support for China caused Hongkong activists to label him as a traitor. Such a label possibly caused him to express more of his support for China despite the controversies. His repeated deviance gave him a reputation for some groups of people. Consequently, the accompanying stigma could stay with Wang until the end of his career.
References:
Clinard, M.B. & Meier, R.F. (2011). Sociology of Deviant Behavior (14th ed). Wadsworth: Cengage Learning.
Einbinder, N. (2019, August 19). Some of China’s biggest pop stars have sided with the government in its fight against Hong Kong’s pro-democracy protesters. Insider. https://www.insider.com/chinese-pop-stars-throwing-support-behind-china-hong-kong-protesters-2019-8
Yuche, L. (2021, March 25). Over 30 Chinese stars cut ties with brands including Nike, HM, and Adidas, standing firmly behind Xinjiang cotton. Global Times. https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202103/1219474.shtml
