Ordinary People as Moral Heroes and Foes: Digital Role Model Narratives Propagate Social Norms in China's Social Credit System

The Chinese Social Credit System (SCS) is a digital sociotechnical credit system that rewards and sanctions economic and social behaviors of individuals and companies. As a complex and transformative digital credit system, the SCS uses digital communication channels to inform the Chinese public about behaviors that lead to reward or sanction. Since 2017, the Chinese government has been publishing "blameworthy" and "praiseworthy" role model narratives of ordinary Chinese citizens on its central SCS information platform creditchina.gov.cn. Across many cultures, role model narratives are a known instrument to convey "appropriate" and "inappropriate" social norms. Using a directed content analysis methodology, we study the SCS-specific social norms embedded in 100 "praiseworthy" and 100 "blameworthy" role model narratives published on creditchina.gov.cn. "Blameworthy" role model narratives stress social norms associated with an "immoral" SCS identity label termed "Lao Lai" - a "moral foe" that fails to repay debt. SCS role model narratives familiarize Chinese society with SCS-specific measures such as digital surveillance, public shaming, and disproportionate punishment. Our study makes progress towards understanding how a state-run sociotechnical credit system combines digital tools with culturally familiar customs to propagate "blameworthy" and "praiseworthy" identities.