"The Returning Medium"-An Investigation On The Media Attributes Of Rural Returnees

This paper has chosen Hejiaping village,Jingchuan county,Pingliang city,Gansu province as the investigation site,viewed “post-90s” rural returnees in Hejiaping village as a media of communication and analyzed their changes as well as influences after their entering the city,with the method of in-depth interviews and participatory observation.Nowadays,with the booming of urbanization,the term "rural returnees" is referring to new objects,which no longer include migrant workers,but also include college students and working-class people who enter cities from rural areas.Existing researches on “rural returnees” mainly focused on migrant workers rather than college students and working-class people.These researches can no longer expound these group of people.Therefore,the analysis and discussion on rural returnees is necessary.In this study,young rural returnees in Hejiaping village have been taken as the research objects.Through deeply getting along with these group of people while observing their daily life status,the research contents of this study are divided into three parts-the first part is new characteristics of rural returnees in Hejiaping village;the second part is the changes in life and concept of rural returnees after they moved from rural areas to cities;the third part is the influences of the changes of rural returnees on left-behind groups.Through the study,the author has made a conclusion of these rural returnees in Hejiaping village,who have received complete education and are not willing to return to rural areas;who are independent,well adaptive and used to the life style in urban;who undergo stresses,loneliness and the lack of belonging.The biggest change of these rural returnees is in life and concept.In terms of life,they have higher demands for clothing,diet and living standard,and they pursue symbolized and brand consumption;in terms of concept,the rural returnees prefer to instant consumption,who reckon relationships as natural and look forward to soulmate with same value and spiritual resonance;they emphasis on emotional relationships with families and friends.After the significant event such as the Covid-19,the contradiction between rural returnees and left-behind groups has relieved and the two groups become more tolerable.In addition,the daily activities,as well as mental world of left-behind groups become richer under the influence of rural returnees.It is notable that the rural returnees have also brought bad consumerism to left-behind groups.Through the study,the new understanding and recognition of rural returnees are disclosed to the society.More attention shall be paid to this group.This essay certainly provides some new ideas for rural revitalization.Meanwhile,the study has viewed rural returnees as a media of communication,which has further enriched the concept of “diversity of medium”,aiming at bringing some new thinking to Communication.