Performing balanced aspirations through identity capital: A case study of Chinese Ivy League influencers on RedNote

• Published in: Journal of consumer culture Vol. 25; no. 3; pp. 219 - 237
• Main Authors: Chen, Siyu, Jiang, Xinxin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London, England SAGE Publications 01.08.2025; Sage Publications Ltd
• Subjects: Asian cultural groups; Aspiration; Case studies; Conformity; Cosmopolitanism; Elites; Empowerment; National identity; Social dynamics; Social media; Social privilege; China; influencer; Aspiration; identity capital; China’s digital economy; elite class; RedNote

While studies on Chinese social influencers are proliferating, the dynamics of emerging elite influencers remain underexplored. Through a Bourdieusian lens, we explore how “Ivy League girls”—a group of female Chinese influencers from elite backgrounds studying at prestigious Western universities—cur...