Forming national identity with televised cultural rituals: a critical discourse analysis of China's Ancient Rhyme and New Voice-Qingming program

Duruo Li; Marwan H Sallam; Zhiwu He

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1471431

Forming national identity with televised cultural rituals: a critical discourse analysis of China's Ancient Rhyme and New Voice-Qingming program

Front Psychol. 2024 Nov 6:15:1471431. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1471431. eCollection 2024.

Authors

Duruo Li^{1

2}, Marwan H Sallam^{1

3}, Zhiwu He¹

Affiliations

¹ School of Journalism and Information Communication, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
² School of Journalism and Communication, Nanyang Normal University, Nanyang, China.
³ Faculty of Education, Ibb University, Ibb, Yemen.

Abstract

Studies on media and national identity emphasize the need for a comprehensive and culturally sensitive approach to understanding the complex relationship between media and identity. This study used critical discourse analysis to examine the depiction of cultural rituals in the Ancient Rhyme and New Voice-Qingming program and its role in forming and reinforcing national identity in China. The program, broadcast on China Central Television, showcases three traditional Chinese cultural rituals: ancestor worship, agricultural rites, and spring outings. The analysis showed that the program aroused shared emotions, beliefs, and values among Chinese audiences, enhancing cohesion and cultural identification, and advancing the construction of Chinese national identity. The study highlights the importance of such cultural programs in promoting cultural identification and underscores the significant role of televised cultural rituals in shaping and reinforcing national identity in an increasingly globalized world.

Keywords: China; Qingming festival; critical discourse analysis; cultural rituals; national identity; televised culture.

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare that financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This work was supported by the collaborative project between Hubei Province and the Huazhong University of Science and Technology under grant numbers 2021F05 and 2021F06, and by the Huazhong University of Science and Technology Double First-Class Funds for Humanities and Social Sciences (Social Governance and Public Communication Innovation Team).