Stereotypes of Chinese Athletes : Critical Discourse Analysis of Western Sports Journalism

The aim of this thesis is to collect and analyze stereotypes of Chinese athletes in Western sports journalism. The thesis employs a single case study of the construction of Chinese athletes in Western media. This study is based on the assumption of Social constructivism and it is combined with media representation theory. Furthermore, racial stereotypes and Orientalism theory are applied to collect and explain the stereotypes of Chinese athletes in Western media. The finding shows that Chinese athletes as a threat to West are constructed not only in the competition of the Olympics, but also in other social aspects such as institution, economy and population. Moreover, through critical discourse analysis (CDA), the analysis proves that racial stereotypes (physical and mental) of Chinese athletes have been represented in Western sports journalism. Additionally, the analysis of power relations which is drawn from Orientalism contributes to the understanding of the presence of these stereotypes. This research contributes to the existing literature by filling the gap in research on racial stereotypes of Chinese athletes in Western sports journalism