Insights in Social Science

The Performative Structure of Social Action: Theatre as a Model Field of Social Order

2026-01-29T11:29:40+08:00

This study reconceptualizes theatrical performance not as a representation of social reality but as a model field for understanding the structural mechanisms of social action. Drawing on social interaction theory and theories of performativity, the article argues that social order is not sustained solely by abstract institutional structures but is produced through ongoing acts of presentation. A tri-layer framework of performative social action is proposed, consisting of role presentation, norm presentation, and visibility presentation. At the level of role presentation, identities are constituted through the continuous enactment of recognizable behavioral patterns. At the level of norm presentation, social rules operate through patterned modes of action rather than exclusively through cognitive adherence. At the level of visibility presentation, social interaction unfolds within a structure of observation in which anticipated evaluation shapes self-regulation. Theatre, as a highly condensed and institutionalized environment of presentation, renders these otherwise dispersed mechanisms observable. By conceptualizing the stage as a structural model of social interaction, this study demonstrates how identity, normativity, and power relations are generated through visible practices. The framework positions theatre studies as a methodological resource for social theory and advances a performative understanding of the production of social order.

Cultural Industry Policy and Public Engagement in China’s Rural Development: Evidence from the Guizhou Village Super League

2026-02-09T15:34:01+08:00

This paper examines how cultural industry policy orientations interact with grassroots public engagement in shaping rural football culture in contemporary China, using the Guizhou Village Super League (Cun Chao) in Rongjiang County as a focal case. Rather than treating policy as a general background, the paper conceptualizes it as an enabling condition that legitimizes local cultural initiatives, expands access to resources and visibility, and creates institutional space for collective participation under the broader agenda of rural revitalization. The Village Super League illustrates a participatory cultural form characterized by community-based organization, non-commercial norms, and locally embedded cultural practices. By analyzing the policy–participation linkage reflected in this case, the paper argues that sustainable rural sports culture is more likely to emerge when policy support reinforces, rather than replaces, grassroots autonomy and everyday communal involvement. The study contributes to discussions on rural cultural governance and cultural industry development by clarifying the mechanisms through which public participation can be amplified within a supportive policy environment.

The Evolution and Institutional Logic of China’s Community Elderly Care Service Mechanism — An Analysis Based on Historical Institutionalism

2026-02-11T16:57:23+08:00

The community elderly care service mechanism is a crucial component of the socialized elderly care service provision system in China’s aging society. Its timely evolution represents a significant supporting force for the national strategy of actively responding to population aging. Employing the analytical framework of historical institutionalism, this paper identifies four developmental stages of China’s community elderly care service mechanism: initial emergence, early exploration, rapid development, and optimization/upgrading. It examines the critical junctures and developmental pathways of this mechanism through the lens of evolutionary logic and driving forces, analyzing the macro, meso, and micro-level dynamics. This analysis aims to accurately delineate the achievements and challenges of the current community elderly care service system in China and to offer theoretical and practical insights for its future development.