主流媒体对农民工的表征及其变迁——以中央电视台春节联欢晚会中小品节目为例

The Media Representation of Rural-to-Urban Migrants and Its Transition:A Case Study of Witty Skits on CCTV Spring Festival Gala

农民工是我国经济发展与社会变革过程中出现的重要新群体,为社会提供了独特的媒介资源。他们与城市人的融合不可避免地受到主流媒体的影响。主流媒体对农民工的表征与城市主流社会心态之间存在相互影响、互为因果的关系。文章选取了从1983年至2009年的26年间中央电视台春节联欢晚会中涉及农民工、农民、城市人的小品,通过对三者的对照分析来考察主流媒体对农民工的表征。研究结果显示,春晚小品在农民工的表征模式中最主要特征为:农民工作为个体客居于城市中、以打工的状态而存在,其地位处于城市人之下,并无改变现实的权利,即处于一种"边缘状态";他们与城市人保持着和谐相处、互相妥协、维护与服从的关系;同时,他们身上并未改变的是与农民相似的传统人格——老实、简单、淳朴、善良。文章还探讨了主流媒体对农民工表征的变迁及其背后的政治经济历史因素和所蕴含的社会意义。

Rural-to-urban migrants refer to farmers-turned-workers who used to be farmers but have now left the countryside to work in urban areas.The purpose of this study is to explore how rural-to-urban migrants were represented on mass media.A content analysis was applied to 140 pieces of witty skits broadcasted on the CCTV festival Gala from 1983 to 2009.The results show that rural-to-urban migrants,compared to farmers and urban residents,were characterized as a separated,low social status,and marginalized group;they served to,and submitted to,urban residence,and lived in harmonious with,and compromise to,urban residence.On the other hand,similar as farmers,rural-to-urban migrants were represented as simplicity,credulousness,guilelessness,and kindness.A social power-behavioral tendency model was proposed to explained the findings.The political,socio-cultural,historical forces which underpropped the media representation of rural-to-urban migrants and its transition were discussed.