From Ritual Construction to Value Reconstruction: Communication Ritual and the Transformation of Consumption on Second-Hand Book Platforms — A Case Study of Duo Zhua Yu

Abstract

This paper examines Duo Zhua Yu, a second-hand book trading platform, through the lens of James W. Carey's ritual view of communication, supplemented by Jean Baudrillard's theory of sign consumption, Pierre Bourdieu's concept of cultural capital, and Erving Goffman's dramaturgical theory. Drawing on this integrated theoretical framework, the study investigates how the platform constructs a cultural brand ritual through ritualised communication strategies and, in doing so, drives the reconstruction of consumers' consumption values. Adopting a qualitative, interpretive single-case design, the study draws on platform content, user-generated material, documentation of offline cultural events, media coverage, and the author's participant observation as a platform user. The findings reveal that Duo Zhua Yu has established a mutually reinforcing ritual system across three dimensions (space, content, and procedure) through which second-hand consumption, originally centred on the circulation of goods, is endowed with symbolic meanings encompassing cultural taste, emotional belonging, and identity expression, thereby transforming into a socioculturally embedded consumer practice. Furthermore, this paper critically examines the platform's ritualised construction, arguing that, in reinforcing cultural identity and lifestyle narratives, an inherent tension persists between its performative tendencies and the imperatives of commercial capital. By integrating these theoretical perspectives within a single empirical case, the study offers an analytical paradigm for understanding how digital platforms mobilise ritualised mechanisms to reshape consumer culture more broadly.