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A Methodological Exploration of Multimodal Recontextualization in Chinese Social Media for HPV Vaccine Promotion

by Muqing Yang 1,*
1
College English Education Center, Nanfang College, Guangzhou, China
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
MI  1(1):10; https://doi.org/10.71290/mi01010007
Received: 28 April 2025 / Accepted: 9 May 2025 / Published Online: 16 May 2025
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Abstract

This study takes HPV vaccine promotion on Chinese social media platforms (taking WeChat as a case) as the research focus. Grounded in Van Leeuwen’s theoretical framework of “discourse as the recontextualization of social practice” and O’Halloran’s multimodal recontextualization analytical model, it systematically compares multimodal strategies between an official medical guideline and a popular WeChat article in health communication. The study demonstrates that multimodal resources significantly shape public risk perception and behavioral motivation: WeChat posts enhance the accessibility and persuasiveness of health information by reducing cognitive load (e.g., simplified representation of vaccine mechanism), evoking emotional resonance (e.g., vivid illustrations of young female patients), and increasing legitimation via personifying viruses. Through the analysis, the findings reveal that official documents construct scientific authority through professional terminology, data tables, and hierarchical layouts, whereas WeChat articles employ visual metaphors (e.g., anthropomorphic virus imagery), emotional narratives, and interactive designs to reconstruct the social practice of vaccination. On the above basis, this research not only highlights the potential of multimodal discourse in digital public health interventions but also provides methodological insights for increasing public acceptance in health communication. Future studies could investigate audience’s acceptance or cross-cultural comparisons, exploring in-depth understanding of the communicative power of multimodal public health discourse.

Keywords: multimodal recontextualization; HPV vaccine; health communication; WeChat articles; public acceptance;
Copyright: © 2025 by Yang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) (Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
Cite This Paper
APA Style
Yang, M. (2025). A Methodological Exploration of Multimodal Recontextualization in Chinese Social Media for HPV Vaccine Promotion. Methodology Insight, 1(1), 10. doi:10.71290/mi01010007
ACS Style
Yang, M. A Methodological Exploration of Multimodal Recontextualization in Chinese Social Media for HPV Vaccine Promotion. Methodology Insight, 2025, 1, 10. doi:10.71290/mi01010007
AMA Style
Yang M.. A Methodological Exploration of Multimodal Recontextualization in Chinese Social Media for HPV Vaccine Promotion. Methodology Insight; 2025, 1(1):10. doi:10.71290/mi01010007
Chicago/Turabian Style
Yang, Muqing 2025. "A Methodological Exploration of Multimodal Recontextualization in Chinese Social Media for HPV Vaccine Promotion" Methodology Insight 1, no.1:10. doi:10.71290/mi01010007

Funding

The 2024 University-Level Scientific Research Project of Nanfang College, Guanghzhou (2024XK018) , The 2024 University-Level Party Building Research Project of the Committee of the Communist Party of China at Nanfang College, Guangzhou (2024XDJ23) , The 2024 Guangdong Provincial Undergraduate Teaching Quality and Teaching Reform Project (GDZL2402)

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APA Style
Yang, M. (2025). A Methodological Exploration of Multimodal Recontextualization in Chinese Social Media for HPV Vaccine Promotion. Methodology Insight, 1(1), 10. doi:10.71290/mi01010007
ACS Style
Yang, M. A Methodological Exploration of Multimodal Recontextualization in Chinese Social Media for HPV Vaccine Promotion. Methodology Insight, 2025, 1, 10. doi:10.71290/mi01010007
AMA Style
Yang M.. A Methodological Exploration of Multimodal Recontextualization in Chinese Social Media for HPV Vaccine Promotion. Methodology Insight; 2025, 1(1):10. doi:10.71290/mi01010007
Chicago/Turabian Style
Yang, Muqing 2025. "A Methodological Exploration of Multimodal Recontextualization in Chinese Social Media for HPV Vaccine Promotion" Methodology Insight 1, no.1:10. doi:10.71290/mi01010007

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