Social Capital-Driven Rural Transformation in China's Developed Regions:A Case Study Based on 43 Demonstration Villages in Huzhou City in Zhejiang Province

WANG Zhen; LIU Xiuqiong; CHEN Chen; DING Boyu; LU Huimin

doi:10.3969/j.issn.1000-0232.2025.10.007

Abstract：With the continuous advancement of urbanization and industrialization,China's rural human-land relationships and functional arrangements have undergone systematic restructuring.Particularly in developed regions,population outflow and the increasing urban-rural development gap have led to the persistent intensification of structural issues such as hollowing out and aging.In this context,rural transformation and development have become a core strategy for addressing the urban-rural duality and reconstructing the rural value system.As a representative of developed regions,Huzhou,a prefecture-level city in Zhejiang Province,demonstrates strong local policy leadership and active market forces.The city is also within the radiation range of the Shanghai metropolitan area,subject to frequent flows of urban and rural factors.Hence,it serves as a critical window through which to observe rural transformation. Based on an in-depth analysis of rural areas near Huzhou,this study aims to explore the action mechanisms and practical paths of social capital in driving rural transformation.A total of 43 villages near Huzhou that have achieved remarkable transformation outcomes from 2000 to 2023 were chosen for a multi-type typical sample analysis.Combined with semi-structured interviews,this analysis systematically examines the villages'typological characteristics and evolutionary stages.It also considers the involvement of multiple agents during the transformation process,thereby revealing the internal logic of social capital-driven rural transformation. Research results are introduced as follows:First,the starting point of rural transformation lies in the conversion of resource value,whereby market capital intervenes in rural areas and"re-evaluates"rural resources through policy and institutional innovations,including breakthroughs in land-use mechanisms,property rights reforms,and talent-introduction policies.This re-evaluation activates potential developmental momentum.Second,rural social capital is activated after the introduction of policy-driven resources and serves as a"catalyst"for rural transformation,continuously connecting multiple agents that include village collective organizations,enterprises and investors,villagers,and social groups.Depending on differences in the type and grade of rural resources,the types and timing of these agents' contributions vary,thus forming top-down pathways,bottom-up pathways,and hybrid pathways for transformation.In addition,differentiated social networks and cooperation mechanisms are established based on key actors,continuously promoting deeper rural transformation.Functional transformation,as the ultimate manifestation of value conversion,evolves from initial production and living conditions to a multifunctional development model that integrates consumption services,cultural experiences,ecological leisure,and other functions.This evolution demonstrates that rural transformation is a continuous,dynamic,and iterative process. Based on these findings,the study establishes a rural resource value assessment system,which can strengthen the role empowerment of key actors and social capital cultivation mechanisms and clarify the boundaries of policy-driven resource interventions to optimize rural revitalization strategies.Although the current conclusions are based on samples from a specific stage,rural transformation is an ongoing process.It is therefore necessary to track whether rural social capital has enough resilience and adaptive capacity to maintain transformation momentum and development quality after the gradual withdrawal of policy-driven resources in the future.Proposing an innovative systematic framework for evaluating social capital-driven rural transformation based on the experience of Huzhou,this study summarizes typical pathways of rural transformation under the dual influence of policy and market guidance and provides theoretical and practical guidance for efforts to promote rural revitalization in similar regions.