Research on the Governance of Rural Living Environments in China: A Perspective of “System-Life” Based on Field Research Conducted in Village A, Xiangtan County, Hunan Province

Yunjuan Liang, Qiyu Shi and Anthony Fuller ()
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Yunjuan Liang: College of Humanities & Social Development, Northwest A&F University, Xianyang 712100, China
Qiyu Shi: College of Humanities & Social Development, Northwest A&F University, Xianyang 712100, China
Anthony Fuller: School of Environmental Design and Rural Development, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G2W1, Canada

Land, 2023, vol. 12, issue 12, 1-18

Abstract: This research focuses on the governance of rural living environments in China from the perspective of “System-Life”. The objective of improving rural living environments is to construct a beautiful countryside, which is an important part of China’s rural revitalization strategy. Through a literature review, a field study, and quantitative analysis, this paper explores the tensions and interactions between local governments and social demand by investigating four elements of the village improvement program: the village’s appearance, sewage treatment, domestic garbage disposal, and the sanitation of toilets. We also examine the interactions between the main participants involved in the governance of rural living environments, including the primary-level governments, village committees, and the villagers themselves. It was found that there is a path toward constructing a benign interaction between “system” and “life”. In terms of “system”, the primary-level governments play a decisive role in the implementation of policies, offering a creative interpretation and flexible implementation of a policy. From the perspective of “life”, the village committee is the bridge between the primary-level governments and villagers. The villagers have their own understanding of policy and the logic of life. This probe leads us to suggest that primary-level governments need to respect the perceptions and priorities of villagers in order to improve the performance of this well-intentioned program.

Keywords: rural living environments; primary-level government; village committee; governance; system-life; rural revitalization (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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