Praktik dan Strategi Affiliator sebagai Cultural Intermediaries di TikTok dalam Mendorong Konsumsi Mahasiswa

Yollanda Chasca Valera, Odam Asdi Artosa, S.Sos., M.A.

2026 | Skripsi | Sosiologi

Penelitian ini menganalisis bagaimana struktur platform TikTok membentuk praktik kerja affiliator perempuan sebagai cultural intermediaries serta bagaimana strategi konten mereka membangun makna simbolik pada produk pakaian yang berpotensi mendorong pola konsumsi mahasiswa. Penelitian menggunakan metode kualitatif dengan pendekatan studi kasus digital. Data diperoleh melalui wawancara dengan tiga affiliator perempuan yang memproduksi konten pakaian di TikTok, observasi digital terhadap konten dan interaksi audiens, serta dokumentasi. Analisis dilakukan melalui reduksi, pengodean, pengelompokan, dan penafsiran data. Temuan menunjukkan bahwa affiliator membangun makna produk melalui kurasi produk, elemen visual, narasi, dan storytelling yang menghubungkan pakaian dengan identitas serta situasi sosial sehari-hari. Konsistensi konten, ulasan yang dianggap jujur, dan kedekatan dengan audiens turut membangun legitimasi affiliator sebagai rujukan selera. Namun, praktik tersebut juga dibentuk oleh struktur platform, termasuk algoritma For You Page (FYP), sistem komisi, GMV, dan Level Kreator, yang mendorong affiliator menyesuaikan strategi dan rutinitas produksinya. Dengan demikian, affiliator berperan sebagai perantara budaya dalam kondisi platformisasi, dengan praktik yang berlangsung melalui negosiasi antara kepentingan brand, audiens, dan platform.

This study examines how TikTok’s platform structure shapes the work practices of women affiliates as cultural intermediaries and how their content strategies construct symbolic meanings around clothing products that may encourage students’ consumption patterns. The research employs a qualitative method using a digital case study approach. Data were collected through interviews with three women affiliates who create clothing-related content on TikTok, digital observation of their content and audience interactions, and documentation. The data were analyzed through reduction, coding, categorization, and interpretation. The findings show that affiliates construct product meanings through product curation, visual elements, narratives, and storytelling that connect clothing with identity and everyday social situations. Content consistency, reviews perceived as honest, and personal closeness with audiences help affiliates establish legitimacy as taste guides. However, these practices are also shaped by platform structures, including the For You Page algorithm, commission systems, GMV, and Creator Levels, which encourage affiliates to adjust their strategies and production routines. Therefore, affiliates operate as cultural intermediaries under conditions of platformization, negotiating the interests of brands, audiences, and the platform.

Kata Kunci : affiliator perempuan, cultural intermediaries, TikTok, simbol, pola konsumsi.