A Study on the Rebuild of Rural Solidarity Based on Social Media Public Space - A Case Study of Village Z in Central Anhui

Abstract

As modernisation and urbanisation continue to progress in China, rural areas are facing the dilemma of 'atomisation' and 'dispersion' in parallel with development. The main problems include the decline of traditional village public spaces and the weakening of village ties, which has led to the collapse of local unity. These phenomena are common throughout the country, but are more pronounced in central regions such as Anhui, where people are more mobile. As traditional public spaces tend to shrink, new virtual public spaces have been created by social media such as WeChat groups and "for the village". This paper focuses on the characteristics of the social media public space, in which grassroots villagers, elites from outside the system and members of rural grassroots organisations participate, and the role it plays in rebuilding solidarity in traditional villages.