Abstract
The reorganization of the global production network and the increased mobility of urban-rural elements have accelerated the differentiation of rural spaces, resulting in a trend towards specialization in rural areas. This paper focuses on the concept of specialization, and takes a renowned bonsai specialized village in Guangzhou City, China as a typical case to explore its transformation and development process, action logic and coupling mechanism with the social governance. The results show that: 1) the development of rural specialization in Ruiling Village is shaped by several key actors, such as local governments, grassroots organizations, villagers, social organizations, policies, markets and infrastructure. The transfer of these key actors and the reconstruction of actor-networks in different stages have an important influence on the transformation and realization of rural development goals. 2) Through subjects-driven, organization management and resource connection, social governance supports the specialization of rural industrial organization, operation, technology and mode. The governance structure shifts from decentralization to networking, refinement and integration. A coupling community of social governance and specialization is created by the social governance system of ‘local government-grassroots organizations-economic cooperatives-villagers’, which links industries, industrial chains and cooperatives. 3) Social governance integrates into the value chain extension process of rural specialized development with a central, multi-level organizational structure. It promotes the construction of the whole value chain through organizational planning, resource integration and image shaping, thus realizing the value, branding and organization of the industry, as well as the integration of rural sustainable development and governance mechanism. Social governance has a profound impact on the development of rural specialization in terms of subject, structure and mode, and participates in the construction of the whole value chain of rural areas. This paper provides a new perspective for understanding the coupling effect of social governance in the rural development transformation, and promotes the rural sustainable development and governance.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ash A, Gleeson T, Hall M et al., 2017. Irrigated agricultural development in northern Australia: value-chain challenges and opportunities. Agricultural Systems, 155: 116–125. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2017.04.010
Barrett C B, Christian P, Shimeles A, 2018. The processes of structural transformation of African agriculture and rural spaces. World Development, 105: 283–285. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2018.02.019
Baynes J, Herbohn J, 2022. Identifying and addressing ‘wicked’ social problems in community forestry in Papua New Guinea. Journal of Rural Studies, 90: 34–41. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2022.01.011
Böcher M, 2008. Regional governance and rural development in Germany: the implementation of LEADER+. Sociologia Ruralis, 48(4): 372–388. doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9523.2008.00468.x
Boonnarakorn S, Deebhijarn S, Saengmanee W, 2022. A causal relationship model of factors influencing one Tambon one product (OTOP) snack food product quality in Thailand. Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business, 9(8): 123–134. doi: https://doi.org/10.13106/jafeb.2022.vol9.no8.0123
Callon M, Law J, Rip A, 1986. Mapping the Dynamics of Science and Technology. London: Palgrave Macmillan. doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-07408-2
Castro-Arce K, Vanclay F, 2020. Transformative social innovation for sustainable rural development: an analytical framework to assist community-based initiatives. Journal of Rural Studies, 74: 45–54. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2019.11.010
Cloke P, Marsden T, Mooney P H, 2006. The Handbook of Rural Studies. London: SAGE.
Elmenofi G A G, El Bilali H, Berjan S, 2014. Governance of rural development in Egypt. Annals of Agricultural Sciences, 59(2): 285–296. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aoas.2014.11.018
Fadeeva O P, 2020. The Siberian settlement: from formal self-government to forced self-organization. Problems of Economic Transition, 62(10): 688–706. doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/10611991.2020.2062207
Felski R, 2016. Comparison and translation: a perspective from actor-network theory. Comparative Literature Studies, 53(4): 747–765. doi: https://doi.org/10.5325/complitstudies.53.4.0747
Fujimoto I, 1992. Lessons from abroad in rural community revitalization: the one village, one product movement in Japan. Community Development Journal, 27(1): 10–20. doi: https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordjournals.cdj.a038571
Furmankiewicz M, Macken-Walsh Á, 2016. Government within governance? Polish rural development partnerships through the lens of functional representation. Journal of Rural Studies, 46: 12–22. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2016.05.004
Gao J L, Liu Y S, Chen J L, 2020. China’s initiatives towards rural land system reform. Land Use Policy, 94: 104567. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2020.104567
Gatto M, Wollni M, Asnawi R et al., 2017. Oil palm boom, contract farming, and rural economic development: village-level evidence from Indonesia. World Development, 95: 127–140. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2017.02.013
Ge Dazhuan, Lu Yuqi, 2021. A strategy of the rural governance for territorial spatial planning in China. Journal of Geographical Sciences, 31(9): 1349–1364. doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11442-021-1900-6
Holmelin N B, 2021. National specialization policy versus farmers’ priorities: balancing subsistence farming and cash cropping in Nepal. Journal of Rural Studies, 83: 71–80. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2021.02.009
Huhe N, Chen J, Tang M, 2015. Social trust and grassroots governance in rural China. Social Science Research, 53: 351–363. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssresearch.2015.06.010
Larios Hernandez G J, 2018. Patterns in international ICT entre-preneurship: Mexico’s case. Academia Revista Latinoamericana de Administración, 31(4): 633–650. doi: https://doi.org/10.1108/ARLA-12-2016-0327
Latour B, 1987. Science in Action: How to Follow Scientists and Engineers Through Society. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
Law J, 1992. Notes on the theory of the actor-network: ordering, strategy, and heterogeneity. Systems Practice, 5(4): 379–393. doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01059830
Lee A H J, Wall G, Kovacs J F, 2015. Creative food clusters and rural development through place branding: culinary tourism initiatives in Stratford and Muskoka, Ontario, Canada. Journal of Rural Studies, 39: 133–144. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2015.05.001
Li E L, Deng Q Q, Zhou Y, 2022. Livelihood resilience and the generative mechanism of rural households out of poverty: an empirical analysis from Lankao county, Henan province, China. Journal of Rural Studies, 93: 210–222. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2019.01.005
Li J T, Liu Y S, Yang Y Y et al., 2021. County-rural revitalization spatial differences and model optimization in Miyun district of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region. Journal of Rural Studies, 86: 724–734. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2019.10.012
Li Y R, Long H L, Liu Y S, 2015. Spatio-temporal pattern of China’s rural development: a rurality index perspective. Journal of Rural Studies, 38: 12–26. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2015.01.004
Li Y R, Fan P C, Liu Y S, 2019. What makes better village development in traditional agricultural areas of China? Evidence from long-term observation of typical villages. Habitat International, 83: 111–124. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.habitatint.2018.11.006
Liu J F, 2014. From social management to social governance: social conflict mediation in China. Journal of Public Affairs, 14(2): 93–104. doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/pa.1514
Liu Yansui, Wang Guogang, Zhang Fugang, 2013. Spatio-temporal dynamic patterns of rural area development in eastern coastal China. Chinese Geographical Science, 23(2): 173–181. doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11769-013-0598-5
Liu Y S, Li Y H, 2017. Revitalize the world’s countryside. Nature, 548(7667): 275–277. doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/548275a
Liu Yansui, Zang Yuzhu, Yang Yuanyuan, 2020. China’s rural revitalization and development: theory, technology and management. Journal of Geographical Sciences, 30(12): 1923–1942. doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11442-020-1819-3
Liu Y S, 2021. Urban-Rural Transformation Geography. Singapore: Springer.
Long Hualou, Qu Yi, Tu Shuangshuang et al., 2020. Development of land use transitions research in China. Journal of Geographical Sciences, 30(7): 1195–1214. doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11442-020-1777-9
McIvor D W, 2020. Toward a critical theory of collaborative governance. Administrative Theory & Praxis, 42(4): 501–516. doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/10841806.2019.1678353
Mendels F F, 1972. Proto-industrialization: the first phase of the industrialization process. The Journal of Economic History, 32(1): 241–261. doi: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022050700075495
Müller M, 2015. Assemblages and actor-networks: rethinking socio-material power, politics and space. Geography Compass, 9(1): 27–41. doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/gec3.12192
Müller M, Schurr C, 2016. Assemblage thinking and actor-network theory: Conjunctions, disjunctions, cross-fertilisations. Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers, 41(3): 217–229. doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/tran.12117
Porteous J D, 1970. The nature of the company town. Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers, 51: 127–142. doi: https://doi.org/10.2307/621766
Qiao J J, Lee J, Ye X Y, 2016. Spatiotemporal evolution of specialized villages and rural development: a case study of Henan Province, China. Annals of the American Association of Geographers, 106(1): 57–75. doi: https://doi.org/10.1800/00456088.0055.1886951
Ramos-Tumanan M A, Ryan C, 2019. Chinese rural tourism–seeking a Chinese perspective from an emic stance, or a case of post hoc reflection?. Tourism Management, 75: 284–292. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2019.05.009
Ruppert E, Law J, Savage M, 2013. Reassembling social science methods: the challenge of digital devices. Theory, Culture & Society, 30(4): 22–46. doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/0263276413484941
Saich T, 2000. Negotiating the state: the development of social organizations in China. The China Quarterly, 161: 124–141. doi: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0305741000003969
Sayes E, 2014. Actor-network theory and methodology: just what does it mean to say that nonhumans have agency?. Social Studies of Science, 44(1): 134–149. doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/0306312713511867
Sun D Q, Ge D Z, 2022. The interaction mechanism of rural housing land transition and rural development: a spatial governance perspective. Growth and Change, 53(3): 1190–1209. doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/grow.12575
Talbot S, 2016. Creating a smart rural economy through smart specialisation: the microsphere model. Local Economy, 31(8): 892–919. doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/0269094216678601
Tripathi A P, Agrawal N, 2021. Impact of an economic revitalization programme on export and employment generation: a case study of one district one product programme in Uttar Pradesh, India. Public Administration and Policy:An Asia-Pacific Journal, 24(3): 306–319. doi: https://doi.org/10.1108/PAP-03-2021-0018
Vandercasteelen J, Minten B, Tamru S, 2021. Urban proximity, access to value chains, and dairy productivity in Ethiopia. Agricultural Economics, 52(4): 665–678. doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/agec.12641
Vicol M, Neilson J, Hartatri D F S et al., 2018. Upgrading for whom? Relationship coffee, value chain interventions and rural development in Indonesia. World Development, 110: 26–37. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2018.05.020
Wang H B, Wang M, Qin J et al., 2020. Enlightenments from potted landscapes (Bonsai and Penjing) for urban revegetation in the built environment. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 49: 126602. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2020.126602
Wei L Q, 2021. General Theory of Social Governance in China. Singapore: Springer.
Woods M, 2011a. Rural Geography: Processes, Responses and Experiences in Rural Restructuring. London: SAGE.
Woods M, 2011b. Rural. London: Routledge.
Wu L, Liu H, Bao Y C, 2022. Outside-in thinking, value chain collaboration and business model innovation in manufacturing firms. Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, 37(9): 1745–1761. doi: https://doi.org/10.1108/JBIM-03-2021-0189
Xu X L, 2020. Social Transformation and State Governance in China: Theory, Path, and Policy Process. Singapore: Springer.
Xu Y Q, Yao Y, 2015. Informal institutions, collective action, and public investment in rural China. American Political Science Review, 109(2): 371–391. doi: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0003055415000155
Yang A L, Rounsevell M D A, Haggett C, 2015. Multilevel governance, decentralization and environmental prioritization: how is it working in rural development policy in Scotland?. Environmental Policy and Governance, 25(6): 399–411. doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/eet.1690
Yang Ren, Pan Yuxin, Xu Qian, 2020. Space diversification process and evolution mechanism of typical village in the suburbs of Guangzhou: a case study of Beicun. Journal of Geographical Sciences, 30(7): 1155–1178. doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11442-020-1775-y
Yang R, Lin Y C, 2022. Rural spatial transformation and governance from the perspective of land development rights: a case study of Fenghe Village in Guangzhou. Growth and Change, 53(3): 1102–1121. doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/grow.12562
Yang Ren, Zhang Xin, Xu Qian, 2022. Spatial distribution characteristics and influencing factors of agricultural specialized villages in Guangdong province, China. Chinese Geographical Science, 32(6): 1013–1034. doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11769-022-1317-x
Young J C, 2019. Rural digital geographies and new landscapes of social resilience. Journal of Rural Studies, 70: 66–74. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2019.07.001
Yue Qiaobing, He Jianhua, Liu Dianfeng, 2021. Identifying restructuring types of rural settlement using social network analysis: a case study of Ezhou city in Hubei province of China. Chinese Geographical Science, 31(6): 1011–1028. doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11769-021-1236-2
Zhang Y N, Long H L, Ma L et al., 2022. Analysis of rural economic restructuring driven by e-commerce based on the space of flows: the case of Xiaying village in central China. Journal of Rural Studies, 93: 196–209. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2018.12.001
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Contributions
LIN Yuancheng: conceptualization, methodology, formal analysis and investigation, writing-original draft preparation, writing-original draft preparation, writing-review and editing; YANG Ren: conceptualization, writing-original draft preparation, writing-original draft preparation, writing-review and editing, supervision, funding acquisition; LI Simeng: investigation, writing-review and editing.
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
YANG Ren is an editorial board member of Chinese Geographical Science. He was not involved in the peer-review or handling of the manuscript. The authors have no other competing interests to disclose.
Additional information
Foundation item: Under the auspices of National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 42171193), the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities, Sun Yat-sen University (No. 22lgqb13)
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Lin, Y., Yang, R. & Li, S. Rural Development Transformation and Social Governance from the Perspective of Specialization: A Case Study of Ruiling Village in Guangzhou City, China. Chin. Geogr. Sci. 33, 796–812 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11769-023-1380-y
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11769-023-1380-y