早稲田大学審査学位論文
博士（スポーツ科学）
概要書
The Metamorphosis of Bodily Discourse in
Olympic Coverage in China:
The “Sick Man of East Asia” and Chinese Nationalism
中国のオリンピック報道における身体ディスコースの変容
－「東亜病夫」と中国ナショナリズム－
２０１６年１月
早稲田大学大学院 スポーツ科学研究科
丁
一吟
DING, Yiyin
研究指導教員： リー・トンプソン 教授
Abstract
The purpose of this dissertation is to analyze whether the growing success of
Chinese participation in the modern Olympics has reshaped the Chinese nation’s
perception of its own body and how the discursive evolution of the Chinese body
both constructs and reinforces the modern Chinese nation and national identity.
This inquiry begins with the old Chinese maxim, [China is the] “sick man of East
Asia”, which appeared first in the 19th century in various print publications. The
weak and languid body image projected through this term was originally
associated with the physical condition of opium addicts, and was later extended
from a mere corporal presence of the Chinese to the condition of the nation, then
facing foreign intrusion and under severe civil crisis in the late Qing Dynasty. A
century has passed since this phrase’s first appearance, however, it still remains
active in Chinese sports discourse, especially in addressing how the success
achieved by Chinese athletes in the Olympic arena has helped rectify this old
body image of the Chinese.
In this vein this dissertation seeks for a modern image of the Chinese nation
heralded by the term “sick man of East Asia” in the Olympic arena in answering
the following research questions: 1) What was the actual origin of the phrase “sick
man of East Asia” and when did it come to be associated with Chinese Olympic
discourse? 2) How has the usage of the stereotype changed? 3) What is the
possible nationalistic interpretation of the changes that have taken place in the
“evolution” of Chinese body discourse? In order to provide an answer to the
above research questions, this dissertation adopts the Circuit of Culture
framework and applies it to further connect all three result chapters. Chapter 2
Methodology explains this fundamental theory and its application in data
collection from the sites of identity, representation and production within the
cultural circuit.
Chapter 3 Mapping the Contemporary Chinese National Identity in the “Sick
man of East Asia” looks into the origin of this term by tracing the national and
historic backgrounds of the initial appearance of the term “sick man” in the late
19th century and how that influenced its various applications. The discussion
delves into the academic arguments relating to the interwoven relationships
behind this term’s original adaptation. It then further documents the
continuation of this term’s semantic development to its modern application in
the sports context from the 1930s to modern times.
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To verify the current validity of the trope “sick man of East Asia” and seek a
proper approach to interpret the modern image of the Chinese presentation of
the athletic body, Chapter 4 The Bodily Discourse in the Chinese Press Coverage of
Foreign and Chinese Athletes at the Olympics compares discourse patterns in the
bodily descriptions of Chinese and foreign athletes. This part of the research
investigates the 1984-2012 Olympic time period in two Chinese newspapers:
People’s Daily and Titan Sports. By extending the investigation into Chinese
newspaper coverage of the eight Summer Olympics China has taken part in, this
chapter analyzes whether the growing success of Chinese participation in the
modern Olympics has reshaped the Chinese body stereotype of the “sick man of
East Asia”, and the reasons behind this phenomenon. It also attempts to discuss
modern China’s role in the world and its relations with other countries and
regions through participation in the Olympics.
If Chapter 4 focuses on the glory side of Chinese athletic body, particularly
the recognition it has received during the course of modern Olympic
participation, Chapter 5 presents another side of the story through the print
media’s portrayal of Chinese 110 meter hurdler Liu Xiang in the 2004, 2008 and
2012 Olympics. This chapter considers how his body was represented in the
Chinese media following his ground-breaking success in 2004 Athens Olympics,
and later when he failed to fulfill his role to erase the “sick man” reputation of
China in the Olympic arena by withdrawing from competition at Beijing and
London. This exploration of the Chinese media’s representation of Liu’s body
within the frenzy of success in Athens and failure in Beijing and London brings
our examination of Chinese nation and national identity to a new level.
The main research result of this dissertation reveals that on the contrary to
the weak image the term “sick man of East Asia” establishes, the analysis of
athletic body discourse in the Chinese media presented a rather new “strong man
of East Asia” in the Olympic arena. The part of discussion is presented in chapter
6 which summarizes the main research findings of this dissertation and the
nationalistic implications behind the modern adaption of “sick man of East Asia”.
It will also discuss the significance and limitations of this research and possible
directions for future research. By retelling the story of “sick man of East Asia”, this
dissertation will fill in the gap of literature on sporting stereotypes in China and
contribute to the understanding of the jigsaw of the Chinese nation and national
identity in the contemporary era.
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