Negotiating Tradition and Modernity: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Bride Price Representations in Chinese Newspapers

Wenyu LiuSiqi ZhangSUN Chengzhi^*

• School of Foreign Languages, Dalian University of Technology (DUT), Dalian, China

This study employs Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) to examine how Chinese newspapers frame the practice of bride price (caili) and how these representations reflect broader socio-cultural tensions between tradition and modernity in contemporary China. Analyzing 113 articles from 52 national and local newspapers published between 2019-2023, the study reveals four dominant themes: bride price as a socio-economic burden, changing social norms and modernizing marriage practices, governmental interventions and policy reforms, and the complex interplay of gender dynamics. The findings demonstrate how newspapers predominantly frame high bride prices as detrimental to rural economic development while advocating for "zero bride price" and simplified marriages as markers of modernity and progress. Employing various legitimation strategies, particularly rationalization, moral evaluation, authorization, and mythopoesis, media discourse constructs bride price as a cultural practice requiring reform while acknowledging its traditional significance. The study shows how women are portrayed both as commodified objects and strategic agents, revealing ambivalence in gender representation. These competing narratives reflect broader societal negotiations between preserving cultural heritage and embracing modern values in Chinese society. By examining the discursive construction of bride price, this research provides insights into the media's role in shaping cultural practices and contributes to understanding how traditional customs are negotiated within modernizing societies.