The formation and negotiation of hybrid identity: A multimodal discourse analysis of Chinese intangible cultural heritage vloggers' videos on Douyin

Abstract

This study examines how intangible cultural heritage (ICH) vloggers on Douyin negotiate hybrid identities under platform pressures. Integrating Multimodal Discourse Analysis (MDA) with Integrative Identity Negotiation Theory (IINT), we propose a Platform-Based Integrative Identity Negotiation Framework and analyze 70 top vlogger videos through MDA. Findings reveal a one-body three-facet structure: datafication compels vloggers to engage in visibility competition under the guise of content producers, yet vloggers ultimately seek algorithmic access by virtue of their identity as craft inheritors; commodification shapes commercial roles, but requires discursive masking to legitimize monetization as cultural revitalization; selection sets normative boundaries anchored in craft inheritance. This study extends IINT from cross-cultural geography to digital platform ecosystems, revealing how vloggers strategically reconcile platform commercial logic with national heritage discourse through multimodal negotiation. The framework offers an integrated lens for researching ICH digital dissemination and identity practices in algorithm-driven environments.