Empowering Ethnic Minority Animated Symbols to Forge a Strong Sense of Community for the Chinese Nation in the Context of New Media

（School of Arts， Southwest Minzu University， Chengdu， 610041， Sichuan， China）

JOURNAL OF ETHNOLOGY， VOL. 15， NO.01， 111-119， 2024 （CN51-1731/C， in Chinese）

DOI：10.3969/j.issn.1674-9391.2024.01.013

Abstract：

It is generally understood that we live in a landscape marked by profound" social transformations and evolving" aesthetic sensibilities， alongside dynamic shifts in methods of national cultural preservation" and development." In this context，" it is necessary to choose" approaches conducive to fostering community consciousness" among adolescents.Animation can be defined as a comprehensive visual and auditory form of artistic expression， and this article considers it reasonable to believe that a combination of storytelling and animation can help subtly guide the consciousness of teenagers. Findings show that ethnic minority animation could be regarded as a pivotal" medium or carrier to forge a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation. By transcending geographical" limitations of the transmission of ethnic cultural symbols， they can" realize a threedimensional communication of visual images and symbols emblematic of the Chinese nation，" thereby potentially invigorating the spread of the Chinese national community consciousness.

By taking" teenagers as the main research subject， this paper explores how to gradually advance the" academic discourse surrounding the forging of a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation. This exploration should traverse theoretical realms spanning politics，" economics， culture，" and law， extending imperceptibly into the quotidian fabric of existence， covering issues like familial dynamics and broader social spheres. From this， the study endeavors to internalize" communal consciousness within the individual psyche， and thereby externalize" it in outward behavioral manifestations. Specifically， this paper undertakes a comprehensive examination of more than 130 ethnic minority cartoons originating from China between" the years 1949 and 2019. The analysis has been structured around three stages of development： 1） Ethnic identity， on the ethnic minority animations concerns on ethnic identity during the sonamed “17" years”; 2）" selfidentity， which aims to probe into the challenging" loss of cultural identity in ethnic animation" in the wake of" globalization after the reform and openingup ; and 3） national identity， which investigates" the construction of ethnic minority animation identity" within the framework of community consciousness， particularly since the dawn of the 21st century." In examining the empowerment of ethnic minority animation to the" forging of a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation in the context of new media， this paper finds that there are several" challenges： First，" the marginalized status of" ethnic minority cultures， often relegated to peripheral" positions due to geographical" factors; second， it identifies the fragmentation of ethnic animation information dissemination and community awareness，" underlining the need for integration; third，" it emphasizes the balance required between ethnic cultural differences and commonalities; and fourth，" individual needs of animation audiences" need to be reconciled with" the goal of fostering Chinese national community consciousness.

Facing the challenges mentioned above， this paper suggests that the content and form of the animation should" align with the aesthetic needs of modern people，" while also emphasizing the importance of value orientation tailored to" the needs of the times. Meanwhile， it is" deemed" necessary to adapt to" evolving landscape" of new media，" bringing together the forces of all parties，" addressing the problems of" the market economy， and" expanding the" reach and impact of ethnic" animation media" as a means of providing more ideas for forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation.

Key Words：

new media; community consciousness; ethnic minority animation; symbols; crisis