Semiotic Fracturing of Rural Cultural Symbols in Short Video Ecosystems: A Critical Discourse Analysis of “Tǔ Wèi” Labeling and Cultural Subjectivity Construction

Xinrong Qiu, Wenjun Qu, Tongyue Feng and Xiaoxia Zhu ()
Additional contact information
Xinrong Qiu: Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai 519000, China
Wenjun Qu: Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai 519000, China
Tongyue Feng: Institute of Advanced Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai 519000, China
Xiaoxia Zhu: Institute of Advanced Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai 519000, China

Social Sciences, 2025, vol. 14, issue 8, 1-15

Abstract: This study interrogates the semiotic destabilization of rural cultural symbols in China’s burgeoning short video sphere, with particular focus on the discursive reconstruction of “tǔ wèi” labeling. This paper, through semantic tracing and content analysis, combined with empirical data from over 130,000 “tǔ wèi” videos on Douyin (Tik Tok), categorizes the “tǔ wèi” content into two major styles: the novelty-hunting and ugliness-seeking style and the rural original ecological style. It also compares the differences in popularity, quality, and value orientation between the two. The research finds that the semantic segmentation of the “tǔ wèi” label is rooted in clash of civilizations and the urban–rural dichotomy, as well as the promotion of the traffic logic and symbol abuse of short video platforms. This segmentation has exacerbated the stigmatization of Chinese farming culture and weakened cultural confidence. It is suggested that efforts should be made from three aspects: deep exploration of indigenous “tǔ” cultural resources, optimization of algorithm recommendation mechanisms, and reconstruction of discourse contexts, to promote the semantic return of the “tǔ wèi” label and consolidate cultural subjectivity.

Keywords: short video; “tǔ wèi” label; rural semiotics; semantic segmentation; cultural subjectivity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A B N P Y80 Z00 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/14/8/494/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/14/8/494/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jscscx:v:14:y:2025:i:8:p:494-:d:1723806

Access Statistics for this article

Social Sciences is currently edited by Ms. Yvonne Chu

More articles in Social Sciences from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().