Constructing national identity through symbolic representations in Olympic microblogs: a pathway analysis

Abstract Drawing on Social Representation Theory, this study analyzes an authentic corpus from Sina Weibo during the Tokyo Olympics, focusing on textual, visual, and performative symbols embedded in Olympic-themed microblogs and their comment sections. It investigates the interactive mechanisms through which national identity is constructed within the digital media environment, emphasizing the processes of symbol generation, reception, and reproduction. The findings reveal that these symbolic elements disseminate national imagery through the dual processes of anchoring and objectification, producing a top-down emotional and visual resonance. Meanwhile, the repetitive imitation and creative recontextualization of various symbols by individuals in Weibo comment sections demonstrate how national identity is not only accepted but also continuously reproduced through interactive practices, revealing a bottom-up co-creation dynamic. This study addresses the oversight of individual agency in macro-discourse approaches, revealing the reciprocal pathways of national identity construction in digital spaces and offering novel theoretical perspectives for researching national identity in the digital era.