Contemporary Social Sciences is an English-language journal founded by Sichuan Academy of Social Sciences(SASS)in March 2016.It is China’s first and only English academic journal established by a local academy of soc...Contemporary Social Sciences is an English-language journal founded by Sichuan Academy of Social Sciences(SASS)in March 2016.It is China’s first and only English academic journal established by a local academy of social sciences,as well as Sichuan’s only English academic journal in humanities and social sciences with a CN serial number.As a publication run in line with the requirements of China’s press and publication authority,Contemporary Social Sciences publishes outstanding research in the field of social sciences in China and also includes high-quality research work by foreign scholars on the development of China’s western regions and its reform and opening up.The aim is to help promote China’s academic achievements to the world and give China a stronger voice in the global community of social sciences.展开更多
Dear Editor,Social anxiety disorder(SAD)is a prevalent psychiatric disorder,characterized by persistent and excessive fear of social situations in which the individual may be scrutinized by others[1].Typically emergin...Dear Editor,Social anxiety disorder(SAD)is a prevalent psychiatric disorder,characterized by persistent and excessive fear of social situations in which the individual may be scrutinized by others[1].Typically emerging in late childhood or adolescence with potential lifelong persistence,SAD significantly impairs interpersonal relationships,educational attainment,and occupational performance[2].Furthermore,SAD demonstrates high comorbidity rates with other mental disorders,including anxiety disorders,substanceuse disorder,and major depressive disorder[3].Current therapeutic interventions remain limited,with suboptimal response to existing psychological and pharmacological treatments in many patients,while the pathological mechanisms underlying SAD continue to elude comprehensive understanding[4].Establishing appropriate animal models is essential to investigating SAD's neural mechanisms and pathological underpinnings and developing effective therapeutic interventions.展开更多
Established in 1958,Sichuan Academy of Social Sciences(SASS)is a public institutionguided by the People’s Government of Sichuan Province.It is a comprehensive and specializedresearch institution in social sciences th...Established in 1958,Sichuan Academy of Social Sciences(SASS)is a public institutionguided by the People’s Government of Sichuan Province.It is a comprehensive and specializedresearch institution in social sciences that integrates research,education,editing,andconsulting services.It holds the registered trademark of“Tianfu Think Tank”and owns twocampuses:Baihuatan and Banzhuyuan.SASS consists of 16 research institutes as well as functional and educational departments,such as the Party Committee and the Graduate School.Currently,it has 450 employees,including a significant number of reputable scholars and recipients of national and provincial honors in the fields of culture and economy,such as national-level candidates for the Hundred,Thousand and Ten Thousand Talents Project,Leading Talent in Philosophy and Social Sciences in the National Ten Thousand Talents Program,participants in China’s Four-pronged Publicity Talent Program,Academic and Technology Leader of Sichuan Province,and Expert of Sichuan Province with Outstanding Contributions.展开更多
Background:Social media plays an important role in shaping body image and self-perception,particularly among appearance-sensitive groups such as athletes.Although problematic social media use has been linked to body i...Background:Social media plays an important role in shaping body image and self-perception,particularly among appearance-sensitive groups such as athletes.Although problematic social media use has been linked to body image outcomes through processes such as social comparison,self-presentation,and evaluation sensitivity,these mechanisms remain underexplored among athletes with physical disabilities.This study aimed to examine the associations between social media use,addictive use patterns,and body image perception in this population,with a focus on these underlying psychological mechanisms.Methods:A total of 165 athletes with physical disability participated in this quantitative cross-sectional study.Data were collected through online surveys,including demographic questions,the Athlete Social Media Use Scale(content creation,usage frequency,and social media addiction subdimensions),and the Body Image Scale(negative perception,evaluation sensitivity,positive perception,and body modification).Parametric tests,correlation analyses,and group comparisons were performed to assess relationships between social media behaviors and body image dimensions.Results:Problematic social media use was moderately associated with higher negative body image and lower positive body image among athletes with physical disabilities(r=0.32–0.41,all p<0.001).Regression analysis indicated that overall social media use was a significant predictor of body image perception after controlling for demographic variables(β≈0.45,p<0.001),explaining approximately 19.5%of the variance.Mediation analyses using bootstrapping revealed that these psychological mechanisms partially mediated the relationship between problematic social media use and body image perceptions,with small-to-moderate indirect effects,indicating both statistical and practical significance.Conclusion:The findings indicate that not only general social media use but also addictive and problematic usage patterns are linked to vulnerable aspects of body image among athletes with physical disabilities.Increased exposure to idealized digital representations and upward social comparison processes may heighten sensitivity to external evaluation and undermine positive body perception.These results highlight the need for digital literacy initiatives,psychoeducational interventions,and supportive online environments that promote healthier social media engagement and body image among disabled athletes.展开更多
A Dutch-born video creator uses his influential social media presence to share authentic stories of Chinese life with European audiences.SANDER Kole,a video creator born in the Netherlands,has become a superstar influ...A Dutch-born video creator uses his influential social media presence to share authentic stories of Chinese life with European audiences.SANDER Kole,a video creator born in the Netherlands,has become a superstar influencer on social media,connecting Chinese and European cultures.With almost 20 million followers on platforms like TikTok,YouTube,Douyin,Xiaohongshu,and WeChat,he uses short videos to show European audiences real life stories in China.展开更多
Background:Amid the global rise in adolescent sedentary behavior and psychological distress,extant research has largely focused on variable-level associations,neglecting symptom-level interactions.This study applies n...Background:Amid the global rise in adolescent sedentary behavior and psychological distress,extant research has largely focused on variable-level associations,neglecting symptom-level interactions.This study applies network analysis,aims to delineate the interconnections among sedentary time,social support,social exclusion,and psychological distress in Chinese students,and to identify core and bridge symptoms to inform targeted interventions.Methods:This study employed a cross-sectional design to investigate the complex relationships among sedentary behavior,social support,social exclusion,and psychological distress among Chinese students.The research involved 459 high school and university students,using network analysis and mediation models to examine these relationships.Results:Network analysis revealed that the network had a density of 58.33%and an average edge weight of 0.11.In terms of centrality,stress had the highest expected influence(EI=1.135),acting as the core amplifier in the network.Sedentary behavior demonstrated the highest bridging expected influence,functioning as a critical bridge for cross-community transmission.Conversely,friend support showed the lowest bridging EI with a negative value,indicating its effectiveness in blocking cross-community diffusion and alleviating symptoms.Conclusion:With stress acting as the most influential“core engine”within the symptom network and sedentary behavior serving as the key“bridge”for cross-community transmission,interventions should first target stress to weaken the overall symptom cascade,followed by reducing sedentary behavior or enhancing friend support to disrupt cross-community pathways,thereby achieving a core-bridge dual blockade.展开更多
Background:In the Chinese context,the impact of short video applications on the psychological well-being of older adults is contested.While often examined through a pathological lens of addiction,this perspective may ...Background:In the Chinese context,the impact of short video applications on the psychological well-being of older adults is contested.While often examined through a pathological lens of addiction,this perspective may overlook paradoxical,context-dependent positive outcomes.Therefore,the main objective of this study is to challenge the traditional Compensatory Internet Use Theory by proposing and testing a chained mediation model that explores a paradoxical pathway from social support to life satisfaction via problematic social media use.Methods:Data were collected between July and August 2025 via the Credamo online survey platform,yielding 384 valid responses from Chinese older adults aged 60 and above.Key constructs were assessed using the Social Support Rating Scale(SSRS),Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale(BSMAS),Simplified UCLA Loneliness Scale,and Satisfaction with Life Scale(SWLS).A chained mediation model was tested using stepwise regression and non-parametric bootstrapping(5000 resamples),controlling for age,gender,household income,and health status.Results:The analysis revealed a paradoxical pathway,which was clarified by a key statistical suppression effect.Social support significantly and positively predicted problematic usage(β=0.157,p=0.002).After controlling for the suppressor effect of social support,problematic usage in turn negatively predicted social connectedness(β=−0.177,p<0.001).Finally,reduced social connectedness—reflecting a state of solitude—positively predicted life satisfaction(β=−0.227,p<0.001).Conclusion:The findings suggest that for older adults with sufficient offline social support,these resources may serve a“social empowerment”function.This empowerment allows behaviors measured as“problematic usage”to be theoretically reframed as a form of“deep immersive entertainment”.This immersion appears to occur alongside a state of“high-quality solitude”,which ultimately is associated with higher life satisfaction.This study provides a novel,non-pathological theoretical perspective on the consequences of high engagement with emerging social media,offering empirical grounds for non-abstinence-based intervention strategies.展开更多
Nursing education in Indonesia experienced a number of changes during the new normal.The biopsychosocial health status reveals how students can complete their studies well at nursing school in the new normal.A quantit...Nursing education in Indonesia experienced a number of changes during the new normal.The biopsychosocial health status reveals how students can complete their studies well at nursing school in the new normal.A quantitative,descriptive correlational study sampled 368 student nurses from2 universities.This study used a biopsychosocial questionnaire,which included biological,physiological,and social dimensions.In this study,there was no significant demographic student nurse relationship with the biological,psychological,and social dimensions of health,at P-value 0.05(Age P=0.70,P=0.27,P=0.93)sex(P=1,P=0.919,P=0.5),as well as grade level(P=0.9,P=0.37,P=0.64).Student nurses were dynamic,such as process input,resulting in coping adaptation and the ability to care for themselves.There was a relationship between both universities with a psychological dimension and a P-value of 0.049.In terms of Generation Z technology,both universities played a role.Lifestyle influences can lead to intense feelings of isolation and loneliness in some teens,including self-negativity,fear of missing out on information,and shame about not meeting appropriate standards for social media.The influence of an unhealthy lifestyle impacts stress and anxiety.The student nurses assigned considered themselves to be“healthy”in terms of their biopsychosocial health status.Student nurses continued to develop in their biopsychosocial health by utilizing different coping strategies to adapt and adjust to their environment in their school of nursing.展开更多
BACKGROUND Low anterior resection syndrome(LARS)is a prevalent and debilitating complication following sphincter-preserving surgery for rectal cancer.Evidence-based interventions for the concurrent psychological burde...BACKGROUND Low anterior resection syndrome(LARS)is a prevalent and debilitating complication following sphincter-preserving surgery for rectal cancer.Evidence-based interventions for the concurrent psychological burden are limited.Electroacupuncture has been proposed as a potential adjunctive therapy,but its psychological benefits remain inadequately studied.AIM To investigate the therapeutic effect of electroacupuncture on emotional recovery and gastrointestinal function in patients with moderate to severe LARS,and to explore its potential advantages in psychologically vulnerable subgroups.METHODS We conducted a retrospective,controlled study involving 100 patients with moderate to severe LARS(LARS score≥21)treated at two tertiary hospitals in China between January 2022 and December 2024.Patients received either standard postoperative care alone(n=50)or in combination with a standardized 4-week electroacupuncture protocol(n=50).Psychological and functional outcomes were assessed using validated instruments including Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale(HADS),Body Image Scale(BIS),General Self-Efficacy Scale,Perceived Social Support Scale(PSSS),LARS score,and European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30 at four time points.The primary endpoint was emotional remission,defined as a≥3-point reduction in HADS-Anxiety subscale(HADS-A).Analyses included repeated-measures comparisons,Kaplan-Meier survival curves,Cox regression models,and subgroup-interaction testing.RESULTS At baseline,demographic,surgical,and psychosocial characteristics were comparable among groups.By week 4,patients receiving electroacupuncture demonstrated significantly greater reductions in anxiety(HADS-A:4.8±2.6 vs 7.3±3.0;P<0.001),depression,and body-image disturbance(BIS:8.7±3.6 vs 11.9±4.2;P<0.001),alongside enhanced coping capacity(Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced),perceived social support(PSSS),and bowel function(LARS score).Emotional remission-defined as a≥3-point HADS-A reduction-was achieved more rapidly in the electroacupuncture group,as confirmed by Kaplan-Meier analysis(log-rank P<0.001;odds ratio=4.7).Multivariate Cox regression identified higher baseline LARS and BIS scores as independent predictors of delayed emotional recovery.Subgroup analyses revealed significantly amplified treatment benefits in patients with high baseline anxiety(HADS-A≥8),elevated body-image disturbance(BIS≥12),or low perceived social support(PSSS<60),with consistent interaction effects(P for interaction<0.05 across subgroups).CONCLUSION Electroacupuncture may accelerate emotional recovery and improve functional and psychosocial outcomes in patients with LARS.Its integration into postoperative care may offer particular benefits for psychologically vulnerable subgroups.展开更多
Social behaviors,including social support and mating,play a critical role in survival and reproduction.Animals must make adaptive social decisions based on internal states and external contexts[1].The sex of a social ...Social behaviors,including social support and mating,play a critical role in survival and reproduction.Animals must make adaptive social decisions based on internal states and external contexts[1].The sex of a social partner is a crucial factor that shapes social decision-making,as oppositesex interactions are vital for fulfilling reproductive needs,whereas same-sex interactions are essential for both collaborative support and competitive behaviors.Under normal circumstances,mice typically exhibit a variety of prosocial behaviors that strengthen social bonds within their groups.展开更多
Objective This study aims to investigate the joint associations of sarcopenia and social isolation with mortality risk.Methods Using data from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey(CLHLS)and the UK Biobank...Objective This study aims to investigate the joint associations of sarcopenia and social isolation with mortality risk.Methods Using data from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey(CLHLS)and the UK Biobank,sarcopenia was diagnosed according to European and Asian Working Groups for Sarcopenia criteria.Social isolation was assessed using standardized questionnaires,including questions on solitude,frequency of social activities,contact with others,and marital status(for the CLHLS only).Results During the follow-up period,8,249 deaths occurred in the CLHLS and 26,670 deaths in the UK Biobank groups.While no significant interaction was observed between sarcopenia and social isolation in predicting all-cause mortality in the CLHLS cohort,the association between social isolation and mortality was stronger among individuals with sarcopenia in the UK Biobank(P-interaction=0.03,relative risk due to interaction:0.23,95%confidence interval[CI]:0.06–0.41).Further joint analyses showed that participants with sarcopenia and high levels of social isolation had the highest mortality risk(hazard ration[HR]:1.99;95%CI:[1.74–2.28]in the CLHLS and 1.69[1.55–1.85]in the UK Biobank)compared to those without either condition.Conclusion The combination of social isolation and sarcopenia synergistically increases the risk of mortality in middle-aged and older adults across diverse populations.展开更多
In December 2025,Australia became the first country to ban social media for people under 16,sparking a worldwide debate on how to protect teens online without undue interference.While the goal of keeping young people ...In December 2025,Australia became the first country to ban social media for people under 16,sparking a worldwide debate on how to protect teens online without undue interference.While the goal of keeping young people away from harmful content and addictive algorithms is wise,a total ban may be counterproductive.A better approach is to combine regulation,education and parental guidance.展开更多
Background:Bullying during adolescence is shaped by numerous psychosocial factors such as family dynamics,attachment,and peer relationships.This study aims to examine parental acceptance-rejection,attachment styles,an...Background:Bullying during adolescence is shaped by numerous psychosocial factors such as family dynamics,attachment,and peer relationships.This study aims to examine parental acceptance-rejection,attachment styles,and social exclusion factors as key psychosocial variables predicting bullying behavior in adolescents.Methods:In a cross-sectional study conducted with 349 high school students in Hakkari,Türkiye.Data were collected using the Olweus Bullying Scale,the Parental Acceptance-Rejection Scale,the Social Exclusion Scale,and the Three-Dimensional Attachment Styles Scale.Independent samples t-tests,one-way ANOVAs,Pearson correlations,and hierarchical regression analyses were performed.Results:Research findings reveal that peer bullying varies significantly according to gender,class level,parents’educational level,and socio-economic status.Furthermore,our findings indicate that social exclusion(β=0.506,p<0.01)and avoidant attachment(β=0.162,p<0.01)positively predict peer bullying,while secure attachment(β=−0.205,p<0.01),maternal(β=−0.385,p<0.01)and paternal(β=−0.217,p<0.01)acceptance/rejection negatively predict bullying.The final regression model explains approximately 55%of the variance in bullying.Conclusion:Our findings indicate that social exclusion,parental acceptance/rejection,and secure or avoidant attachment patterns may be associated with bullying behaviour in adolescents.These findings emphasise the necessity of family-and peer-focused interventions to combat bullying.展开更多
Identifying the community structure of complex networks is crucial to extracting insights and understanding network properties.Although several community detection methods have been proposed,many are unsuitable for so...Identifying the community structure of complex networks is crucial to extracting insights and understanding network properties.Although several community detection methods have been proposed,many are unsuitable for social networks due to significant limitations.Specifically,most approaches depend mainly on user-user structural links while overlooking service-centric,semantic,and multi-attribute drivers of community formation,and they also lack flexible filtering mechanisms for large-scale,service-oriented settings.Our proposed approach,called community discovery-based service(CDBS),leverages user profiles and their interactions with consulted web services.The method introduces a novel similarity measure,global similarity interaction profile(GSIP),which goes beyond typical similarity measures by unifying user and service profiles for all attributes types into a coherent representation,thereby clarifying its novelty and contribution.It applies multiple filtering criteria related to user attributes,accessed services,and interaction patterns.Experimental comparisons against Louvain,Hierarchical Agglomerative Clustering,Label Propagation and Infomap show that CDBS reveals the higher performance as it achieves 0.74 modularity,0.13 conductance,0.77 coverage,and significantly fast response time of 9.8 s,even with 10,000 users and 400 services.Moreover,community discoverybased service consistently detects a larger number of communities with distinct topics of interest,underscoring its capacity to generate detailed and efficient structures in complex networks.These results confirm both the efficiency and effectiveness of the proposed method.Beyond controlled evaluation,communities discovery based service is applicable to targeted recommendations,group-oriented marketing,access control,and service personalization,where communities are shaped not only by user links but also by service engagement.展开更多
Objectives:Non-suicidal self-injury(NSSI)represents a prominent and escalating concern within mental health,associated with considerable psychological and physical dangers.Peer victimization is identified as a signifi...Objectives:Non-suicidal self-injury(NSSI)represents a prominent and escalating concern within mental health,associated with considerable psychological and physical dangers.Peer victimization is identified as a significant predictor of NSSI behavior.Although prior research has explored the association between peer victimization and NSSI,the mechanisms underlying this relationship remain insufficiently understood.Utilizing social information processing theory frameworks,the present study seeks to examine the sequential mediating roles of a cognitive factor,future orientation,and a behavioral factor,social withdrawal,in middle school students.Methods:A cross-sectional survey was administered in China,involving 528 participants(261 females and 267 males;Meanage=13.71,standard deviation[SD]=0.93).Participants completed self-report measures assessing peer victimization via the Delaware Bullying Victimization Scale-Student Version,NSSI via the Adolescents Self-Harm Scale,future orientation via the Adolescent Future Orientation Questionnaire,and social withdrawal via the Social Withdrawal Questionnaire.Results:Findings indicated a significant positive correlation between peer victimization and NSSI(r=0.30,p<0.01).Additionally,future orientation and social withdrawal functioned as serial mediators,with an indirect effect of 0.01(95%CI:[0.01,0.02]),representing 2.70%of the total effect(𝛽=0.37,95%CI:[0.25,0.47]).Conclusions:The findings endorse a theoretical framework in which negative future outlook and social withdrawal are sequentially linked within the relationship between peer victimization and NSSI.Although the serial indirect effect observed is modest,it delineates a distinct associative pattern that characterizes adolescents subjected to victimization.These results carry practical significance for school-based intervention programs,indicating that targeting future perspectives and social connections may enhance strategies for preventing NSSI.展开更多
Background:Social connection is widely recognized as a protective determinant of health,yet its direct and indirect effects on mental health remain underexplored.This study examines the relationship between social con...Background:Social connection is widely recognized as a protective determinant of health,yet its direct and indirect effects on mental health remain underexplored.This study examines the relationship between social connection and mental health,focusing on the mediating role of quality of life(QoL)and the moderating effect of regional differences.Methods:We analyzed data from the 2019 Korean Community Health Survey,comprising 229,099 adults.Mental health was assessed through validated measures of depressive symptoms and psychological well-being.Social connection was measured using indicators of interpersonal ties and community participation,and QoL was assessed via self-reported health-related satisfaction across major life domains.Analytical procedures included mediation modeling and subgroup analyses by region,with significance levels set at p<0.05.Results:The results indicate that social connections are significantly associated with lower stress levels and reduced depressive symptoms,with QoL playing a critical mediating role.Notably,the indirect effect of social connection on mental health via QoL is stronger in rural areas compared to urban regions,highlighting the importance of social cohesion and community support in mental well-being.Among 203,567 adults,greater social participation was associated with lower subjective stress(total effect=−0.052,p<0.001)and fewer depressive symptoms(PHQ-9 total effect=−0.308,p<0.001).QoL significantly mediated these associations,with the strongest indirect pathways observed through usual activities(19.2%for stress;27.6%for depression)and mobility(24.4%for depression).Regional analysis showed stronger mediation in rural areas(up to 26.8%for stress and 32.6%for depression)than in urban areas(8–16%and 14.9–23%).Direct effects remained significant,indicating partial mediation.These findings highlight that social participation enhances mental health directly and indirectly through QoL,particularly in rural contexts.Conclusions:Social connection contributes to better mental health both directly and indirectly through improved QoL,with stronger effects observed in rural communities.These findings highlight the importance of fostering social cohesion and enhancing life quality as strategies for improving population mental health.Policy interventions should adopt context-sensitive approaches that account for regional differences in social resources and service availability.展开更多
With the speeding up of China’s urbanization process,the problems related to the left-behind children-especially the psychological matter–have become more and more prominent.To solve such kind of problems requires t...With the speeding up of China’s urbanization process,the problems related to the left-behind children-especially the psychological matter–have become more and more prominent.To solve such kind of problems requires the intervention of the professionals like the social workers.Due to long term lack of companionship from the parents,the left-behind children suffers from insufficient emotion and internal innovation,which leads to low self efficiency.Furthermore,their poor communication skills with other people causes their withdrawal,suppress emotions,accumulate inwardly and result in severe negative impact.Therefore at this moment,emotional intervention becomes particularly crucial.The left-behind children can open up about their true thoughts through the communication with the social workers,who can promptly provide emotional comfort for their inner struggles to get result of mental nourishing.Therefore,emotional intervention renders service with warmth and highlights humanistic care.展开更多
In recent years bird hunting has become a topical issue in public debate in Poland.Some organizations and communities actively engaged in nature conservation efforts propose a complete ban on hunting,arguing it needs ...In recent years bird hunting has become a topical issue in public debate in Poland.Some organizations and communities actively engaged in nature conservation efforts propose a complete ban on hunting,arguing it needs to be introduced for ethical reasons and to ensure a more effective species protection.This discussion frequently involves cases when hunters break the law,illustrated by photographs published on social media,documenting culling of legally protected species.In response hunters mention the need to verify the sources and the context for published materials.展开更多
Background:Depression is prevalent among female college students,with eating behavior potentially related to this issue.This study examines the relationship between eating behavior and depression,focusing on the role ...Background:Depression is prevalent among female college students,with eating behavior potentially related to this issue.This study examines the relationship between eating behavior and depression,focusing on the role of social appearance anxiety and physical activity.Methods:We recruited 2161 female college students from nine universities in China via convenience sampling.Data was collected via an online questionnaire.Eating behavior was assessed via the Eating Behavior Scale short form(EBS-SF),depression was measured via the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale(CES-D),social appearance anxiety was evaluated via the Social Appearance Anxiety Scale,and physical activity was assessed via a single-item question.Descriptive statistics were analyzed via SPSS 26.0,and moderated mediation analysis was conducted via PROCESS version 3.5.Results:Unhealthy eating behavior was significantly associated with higher levels of depression(β=0.285,p<0.001).Social appearance anxiety mediated this relationship,accounting for 46%of the total effect(β=0.132,95%CI=[0.108,0.158]).The interaction effect between eating behavior and physical activity was significantly and negatively correlated with depression(β=−0.052,p<0.01).The association between eating behavior and depression was stronger under conditions of low physical activity(β=0.210,p<0.001)than under conditions of high physical activity(β=0.105,p<0.001).Conclusions:Integrating nutritional guidance,body image acceptance training,and exercise promotion into campus mental health programs is crucial for addressing depression in female college students.Future research should use longitudinal designs and broader participant ranges to increase the general applicability of the findings.展开更多
The shift toward specialized and large-scale agricultural production has spurred the emergence of agricultural clusters as key forces of rural vitalization and sustainable development.This paper explored the formation...The shift toward specialized and large-scale agricultural production has spurred the emergence of agricultural clusters as key forces of rural vitalization and sustainable development.This paper explored the formation and evolution of Meizhou pomelo industry cluster in China,focusing on its role in restructuring rural socio-economic systems and integrating the whole value chains.Based on a case study employing qualitative methods such as in-depth interviews and participatory observation,the agricultural cluster evolution of Meizhou pomelo was categorized into three key phases of initial decentralization,self-organized scaling,and reorganized clustering.Geographical proximity and industrial agglomeration constitute the physical foundation,while vertical/horizontal linkages,technologic-al innovation,and policy support enhance competitiveness.Special mechanisms emerge through localized social networks,farmer co-operatives’activation,and cross-regional market expansion.The cluster’s impact is manifested in the shift from extensive to standard-ized and modernized production,diversified and flexible livelihood of farmers,and the integration of agriculture with industry and ser-vices.The development of the whole value chain based on agricultural cluster represents a critical pathway for achieving agricultural modernization,encompassing both internal and external value chain optimization.Through quality assurance systems,product diversi-fication strategies,operational efficiency improvements,and brand enhancement,these clusters amplify product value propositions and market competitiveness.This systemic approach facilitates supply-demand coordination,enables resource synergies,and optimizes eco-nomic returns across the horizontal and vertical value chain.This paper argues that agricultural clusters serve as strategic catalysts for sustainable rural development by reconstructing local production systems,fostering innovation ecosystems,and aligning agricultural modernization.It contributes to debates on rural vitalization by demonstrating how agricultural clustering can reconfigure rural areas as hubs of ecological modernization,rather than mere urban peripheries.展开更多
文摘Contemporary Social Sciences is an English-language journal founded by Sichuan Academy of Social Sciences(SASS)in March 2016.It is China’s first and only English academic journal established by a local academy of social sciences,as well as Sichuan’s only English academic journal in humanities and social sciences with a CN serial number.As a publication run in line with the requirements of China’s press and publication authority,Contemporary Social Sciences publishes outstanding research in the field of social sciences in China and also includes high-quality research work by foreign scholars on the development of China’s western regions and its reform and opening up.The aim is to help promote China’s academic achievements to the world and give China a stronger voice in the global community of social sciences.
基金the support of the research platform provided by Professor Zhi-Ying Wu’s research group at the Nanhu Brain-computer Interface Institutesupported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(32200822).
文摘Dear Editor,Social anxiety disorder(SAD)is a prevalent psychiatric disorder,characterized by persistent and excessive fear of social situations in which the individual may be scrutinized by others[1].Typically emerging in late childhood or adolescence with potential lifelong persistence,SAD significantly impairs interpersonal relationships,educational attainment,and occupational performance[2].Furthermore,SAD demonstrates high comorbidity rates with other mental disorders,including anxiety disorders,substanceuse disorder,and major depressive disorder[3].Current therapeutic interventions remain limited,with suboptimal response to existing psychological and pharmacological treatments in many patients,while the pathological mechanisms underlying SAD continue to elude comprehensive understanding[4].Establishing appropriate animal models is essential to investigating SAD's neural mechanisms and pathological underpinnings and developing effective therapeutic interventions.
文摘Established in 1958,Sichuan Academy of Social Sciences(SASS)is a public institutionguided by the People’s Government of Sichuan Province.It is a comprehensive and specializedresearch institution in social sciences that integrates research,education,editing,andconsulting services.It holds the registered trademark of“Tianfu Think Tank”and owns twocampuses:Baihuatan and Banzhuyuan.SASS consists of 16 research institutes as well as functional and educational departments,such as the Party Committee and the Graduate School.Currently,it has 450 employees,including a significant number of reputable scholars and recipients of national and provincial honors in the fields of culture and economy,such as national-level candidates for the Hundred,Thousand and Ten Thousand Talents Project,Leading Talent in Philosophy and Social Sciences in the National Ten Thousand Talents Program,participants in China’s Four-pronged Publicity Talent Program,Academic and Technology Leader of Sichuan Province,and Expert of Sichuan Province with Outstanding Contributions.
基金supported by the İnonu University Scientific Research Projects Unit(SBA-2026-4657),Türkiye.
文摘Background:Social media plays an important role in shaping body image and self-perception,particularly among appearance-sensitive groups such as athletes.Although problematic social media use has been linked to body image outcomes through processes such as social comparison,self-presentation,and evaluation sensitivity,these mechanisms remain underexplored among athletes with physical disabilities.This study aimed to examine the associations between social media use,addictive use patterns,and body image perception in this population,with a focus on these underlying psychological mechanisms.Methods:A total of 165 athletes with physical disability participated in this quantitative cross-sectional study.Data were collected through online surveys,including demographic questions,the Athlete Social Media Use Scale(content creation,usage frequency,and social media addiction subdimensions),and the Body Image Scale(negative perception,evaluation sensitivity,positive perception,and body modification).Parametric tests,correlation analyses,and group comparisons were performed to assess relationships between social media behaviors and body image dimensions.Results:Problematic social media use was moderately associated with higher negative body image and lower positive body image among athletes with physical disabilities(r=0.32–0.41,all p<0.001).Regression analysis indicated that overall social media use was a significant predictor of body image perception after controlling for demographic variables(β≈0.45,p<0.001),explaining approximately 19.5%of the variance.Mediation analyses using bootstrapping revealed that these psychological mechanisms partially mediated the relationship between problematic social media use and body image perceptions,with small-to-moderate indirect effects,indicating both statistical and practical significance.Conclusion:The findings indicate that not only general social media use but also addictive and problematic usage patterns are linked to vulnerable aspects of body image among athletes with physical disabilities.Increased exposure to idealized digital representations and upward social comparison processes may heighten sensitivity to external evaluation and undermine positive body perception.These results highlight the need for digital literacy initiatives,psychoeducational interventions,and supportive online environments that promote healthier social media engagement and body image among disabled athletes.
文摘A Dutch-born video creator uses his influential social media presence to share authentic stories of Chinese life with European audiences.SANDER Kole,a video creator born in the Netherlands,has become a superstar influencer on social media,connecting Chinese and European cultures.With almost 20 million followers on platforms like TikTok,YouTube,Douyin,Xiaohongshu,and WeChat,he uses short videos to show European audiences real life stories in China.
文摘Background:Amid the global rise in adolescent sedentary behavior and psychological distress,extant research has largely focused on variable-level associations,neglecting symptom-level interactions.This study applies network analysis,aims to delineate the interconnections among sedentary time,social support,social exclusion,and psychological distress in Chinese students,and to identify core and bridge symptoms to inform targeted interventions.Methods:This study employed a cross-sectional design to investigate the complex relationships among sedentary behavior,social support,social exclusion,and psychological distress among Chinese students.The research involved 459 high school and university students,using network analysis and mediation models to examine these relationships.Results:Network analysis revealed that the network had a density of 58.33%and an average edge weight of 0.11.In terms of centrality,stress had the highest expected influence(EI=1.135),acting as the core amplifier in the network.Sedentary behavior demonstrated the highest bridging expected influence,functioning as a critical bridge for cross-community transmission.Conversely,friend support showed the lowest bridging EI with a negative value,indicating its effectiveness in blocking cross-community diffusion and alleviating symptoms.Conclusion:With stress acting as the most influential“core engine”within the symptom network and sedentary behavior serving as the key“bridge”for cross-community transmission,interventions should first target stress to weaken the overall symptom cascade,followed by reducing sedentary behavior or enhancing friend support to disrupt cross-community pathways,thereby achieving a core-bridge dual blockade.
基金funded by the Guangxi Philosophy and Social Science Research Project,grant number 24XWC002.
文摘Background:In the Chinese context,the impact of short video applications on the psychological well-being of older adults is contested.While often examined through a pathological lens of addiction,this perspective may overlook paradoxical,context-dependent positive outcomes.Therefore,the main objective of this study is to challenge the traditional Compensatory Internet Use Theory by proposing and testing a chained mediation model that explores a paradoxical pathway from social support to life satisfaction via problematic social media use.Methods:Data were collected between July and August 2025 via the Credamo online survey platform,yielding 384 valid responses from Chinese older adults aged 60 and above.Key constructs were assessed using the Social Support Rating Scale(SSRS),Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale(BSMAS),Simplified UCLA Loneliness Scale,and Satisfaction with Life Scale(SWLS).A chained mediation model was tested using stepwise regression and non-parametric bootstrapping(5000 resamples),controlling for age,gender,household income,and health status.Results:The analysis revealed a paradoxical pathway,which was clarified by a key statistical suppression effect.Social support significantly and positively predicted problematic usage(β=0.157,p=0.002).After controlling for the suppressor effect of social support,problematic usage in turn negatively predicted social connectedness(β=−0.177,p<0.001).Finally,reduced social connectedness—reflecting a state of solitude—positively predicted life satisfaction(β=−0.227,p<0.001).Conclusion:The findings suggest that for older adults with sufficient offline social support,these resources may serve a“social empowerment”function.This empowerment allows behaviors measured as“problematic usage”to be theoretically reframed as a form of“deep immersive entertainment”.This immersion appears to occur alongside a state of“high-quality solitude”,which ultimately is associated with higher life satisfaction.This study provides a novel,non-pathological theoretical perspective on the consequences of high engagement with emerging social media,offering empirical grounds for non-abstinence-based intervention strategies.
文摘Nursing education in Indonesia experienced a number of changes during the new normal.The biopsychosocial health status reveals how students can complete their studies well at nursing school in the new normal.A quantitative,descriptive correlational study sampled 368 student nurses from2 universities.This study used a biopsychosocial questionnaire,which included biological,physiological,and social dimensions.In this study,there was no significant demographic student nurse relationship with the biological,psychological,and social dimensions of health,at P-value 0.05(Age P=0.70,P=0.27,P=0.93)sex(P=1,P=0.919,P=0.5),as well as grade level(P=0.9,P=0.37,P=0.64).Student nurses were dynamic,such as process input,resulting in coping adaptation and the ability to care for themselves.There was a relationship between both universities with a psychological dimension and a P-value of 0.049.In terms of Generation Z technology,both universities played a role.Lifestyle influences can lead to intense feelings of isolation and loneliness in some teens,including self-negativity,fear of missing out on information,and shame about not meeting appropriate standards for social media.The influence of an unhealthy lifestyle impacts stress and anxiety.The student nurses assigned considered themselves to be“healthy”in terms of their biopsychosocial health status.Student nurses continued to develop in their biopsychosocial health by utilizing different coping strategies to adapt and adjust to their environment in their school of nursing.
文摘BACKGROUND Low anterior resection syndrome(LARS)is a prevalent and debilitating complication following sphincter-preserving surgery for rectal cancer.Evidence-based interventions for the concurrent psychological burden are limited.Electroacupuncture has been proposed as a potential adjunctive therapy,but its psychological benefits remain inadequately studied.AIM To investigate the therapeutic effect of electroacupuncture on emotional recovery and gastrointestinal function in patients with moderate to severe LARS,and to explore its potential advantages in psychologically vulnerable subgroups.METHODS We conducted a retrospective,controlled study involving 100 patients with moderate to severe LARS(LARS score≥21)treated at two tertiary hospitals in China between January 2022 and December 2024.Patients received either standard postoperative care alone(n=50)or in combination with a standardized 4-week electroacupuncture protocol(n=50).Psychological and functional outcomes were assessed using validated instruments including Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale(HADS),Body Image Scale(BIS),General Self-Efficacy Scale,Perceived Social Support Scale(PSSS),LARS score,and European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30 at four time points.The primary endpoint was emotional remission,defined as a≥3-point reduction in HADS-Anxiety subscale(HADS-A).Analyses included repeated-measures comparisons,Kaplan-Meier survival curves,Cox regression models,and subgroup-interaction testing.RESULTS At baseline,demographic,surgical,and psychosocial characteristics were comparable among groups.By week 4,patients receiving electroacupuncture demonstrated significantly greater reductions in anxiety(HADS-A:4.8±2.6 vs 7.3±3.0;P<0.001),depression,and body-image disturbance(BIS:8.7±3.6 vs 11.9±4.2;P<0.001),alongside enhanced coping capacity(Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced),perceived social support(PSSS),and bowel function(LARS score).Emotional remission-defined as a≥3-point HADS-A reduction-was achieved more rapidly in the electroacupuncture group,as confirmed by Kaplan-Meier analysis(log-rank P<0.001;odds ratio=4.7).Multivariate Cox regression identified higher baseline LARS and BIS scores as independent predictors of delayed emotional recovery.Subgroup analyses revealed significantly amplified treatment benefits in patients with high baseline anxiety(HADS-A≥8),elevated body-image disturbance(BIS≥12),or low perceived social support(PSSS<60),with consistent interaction effects(P for interaction<0.05 across subgroups).CONCLUSION Electroacupuncture may accelerate emotional recovery and improve functional and psychosocial outcomes in patients with LARS.Its integration into postoperative care may offer particular benefits for psychologically vulnerable subgroups.
基金supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(32471074 and 32200825)the STI2030-Major Projects(2021ZD0203000 and 2021ZD0203002)+1 种基金the Shandong Provincial Taishan Scholars Project(tsqn202306174)the Shandong Provincial Natural Science Foundation(ZR2022QC173).
文摘Social behaviors,including social support and mating,play a critical role in survival and reproduction.Animals must make adaptive social decisions based on internal states and external contexts[1].The sex of a social partner is a crucial factor that shapes social decision-making,as oppositesex interactions are vital for fulfilling reproductive needs,whereas same-sex interactions are essential for both collaborative support and competitive behaviors.Under normal circumstances,mice typically exhibit a variety of prosocial behaviors that strengthen social bonds within their groups.
基金supported by grants from the National Key Research and Development Program of China(No.2023YFC3606300,No.2022YFC3600300)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.82325043)the National Key Research and Development Program of Hubei Province(2022BCA036)。
文摘Objective This study aims to investigate the joint associations of sarcopenia and social isolation with mortality risk.Methods Using data from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey(CLHLS)and the UK Biobank,sarcopenia was diagnosed according to European and Asian Working Groups for Sarcopenia criteria.Social isolation was assessed using standardized questionnaires,including questions on solitude,frequency of social activities,contact with others,and marital status(for the CLHLS only).Results During the follow-up period,8,249 deaths occurred in the CLHLS and 26,670 deaths in the UK Biobank groups.While no significant interaction was observed between sarcopenia and social isolation in predicting all-cause mortality in the CLHLS cohort,the association between social isolation and mortality was stronger among individuals with sarcopenia in the UK Biobank(P-interaction=0.03,relative risk due to interaction:0.23,95%confidence interval[CI]:0.06–0.41).Further joint analyses showed that participants with sarcopenia and high levels of social isolation had the highest mortality risk(hazard ration[HR]:1.99;95%CI:[1.74–2.28]in the CLHLS and 1.69[1.55–1.85]in the UK Biobank)compared to those without either condition.Conclusion The combination of social isolation and sarcopenia synergistically increases the risk of mortality in middle-aged and older adults across diverse populations.
文摘In December 2025,Australia became the first country to ban social media for people under 16,sparking a worldwide debate on how to protect teens online without undue interference.While the goal of keeping young people away from harmful content and addictive algorithms is wise,a total ban may be counterproductive.A better approach is to combine regulation,education and parental guidance.
文摘Background:Bullying during adolescence is shaped by numerous psychosocial factors such as family dynamics,attachment,and peer relationships.This study aims to examine parental acceptance-rejection,attachment styles,and social exclusion factors as key psychosocial variables predicting bullying behavior in adolescents.Methods:In a cross-sectional study conducted with 349 high school students in Hakkari,Türkiye.Data were collected using the Olweus Bullying Scale,the Parental Acceptance-Rejection Scale,the Social Exclusion Scale,and the Three-Dimensional Attachment Styles Scale.Independent samples t-tests,one-way ANOVAs,Pearson correlations,and hierarchical regression analyses were performed.Results:Research findings reveal that peer bullying varies significantly according to gender,class level,parents’educational level,and socio-economic status.Furthermore,our findings indicate that social exclusion(β=0.506,p<0.01)and avoidant attachment(β=0.162,p<0.01)positively predict peer bullying,while secure attachment(β=−0.205,p<0.01),maternal(β=−0.385,p<0.01)and paternal(β=−0.217,p<0.01)acceptance/rejection negatively predict bullying.The final regression model explains approximately 55%of the variance in bullying.Conclusion:Our findings indicate that social exclusion,parental acceptance/rejection,and secure or avoidant attachment patterns may be associated with bullying behaviour in adolescents.These findings emphasise the necessity of family-and peer-focused interventions to combat bullying.
文摘Identifying the community structure of complex networks is crucial to extracting insights and understanding network properties.Although several community detection methods have been proposed,many are unsuitable for social networks due to significant limitations.Specifically,most approaches depend mainly on user-user structural links while overlooking service-centric,semantic,and multi-attribute drivers of community formation,and they also lack flexible filtering mechanisms for large-scale,service-oriented settings.Our proposed approach,called community discovery-based service(CDBS),leverages user profiles and their interactions with consulted web services.The method introduces a novel similarity measure,global similarity interaction profile(GSIP),which goes beyond typical similarity measures by unifying user and service profiles for all attributes types into a coherent representation,thereby clarifying its novelty and contribution.It applies multiple filtering criteria related to user attributes,accessed services,and interaction patterns.Experimental comparisons against Louvain,Hierarchical Agglomerative Clustering,Label Propagation and Infomap show that CDBS reveals the higher performance as it achieves 0.74 modularity,0.13 conductance,0.77 coverage,and significantly fast response time of 9.8 s,even with 10,000 users and 400 services.Moreover,community discoverybased service consistently detects a larger number of communities with distinct topics of interest,underscoring its capacity to generate detailed and efficient structures in complex networks.These results confirm both the efficiency and effectiveness of the proposed method.Beyond controlled evaluation,communities discovery based service is applicable to targeted recommendations,group-oriented marketing,access control,and service personalization,where communities are shaped not only by user links but also by service engagement.
基金supported by 2024 The Basic Ability Improvement Project for Young and Middle-aged Teachers of Colleges and Universities in Guangxi(No.2024KY0165)2024 Guangxi Minzu University General Research Project(Humanities and Social Sciences Category,No.2024MDSKYB20)2022 Annual Teaching and Research Project of Shiyuan College of Nanning Normal University(No.2022JY13).
文摘Objectives:Non-suicidal self-injury(NSSI)represents a prominent and escalating concern within mental health,associated with considerable psychological and physical dangers.Peer victimization is identified as a significant predictor of NSSI behavior.Although prior research has explored the association between peer victimization and NSSI,the mechanisms underlying this relationship remain insufficiently understood.Utilizing social information processing theory frameworks,the present study seeks to examine the sequential mediating roles of a cognitive factor,future orientation,and a behavioral factor,social withdrawal,in middle school students.Methods:A cross-sectional survey was administered in China,involving 528 participants(261 females and 267 males;Meanage=13.71,standard deviation[SD]=0.93).Participants completed self-report measures assessing peer victimization via the Delaware Bullying Victimization Scale-Student Version,NSSI via the Adolescents Self-Harm Scale,future orientation via the Adolescent Future Orientation Questionnaire,and social withdrawal via the Social Withdrawal Questionnaire.Results:Findings indicated a significant positive correlation between peer victimization and NSSI(r=0.30,p<0.01).Additionally,future orientation and social withdrawal functioned as serial mediators,with an indirect effect of 0.01(95%CI:[0.01,0.02]),representing 2.70%of the total effect(𝛽=0.37,95%CI:[0.25,0.47]).Conclusions:The findings endorse a theoretical framework in which negative future outlook and social withdrawal are sequentially linked within the relationship between peer victimization and NSSI.Although the serial indirect effect observed is modest,it delineates a distinct associative pattern that characterizes adolescents subjected to victimization.These results carry practical significance for school-based intervention programs,indicating that targeting future perspectives and social connections may enhance strategies for preventing NSSI.
基金supported by the“Regional Innovation System&Education(RISE)”through the Seoul RISE Center,funded by the Ministry of Education(MOE)and the Seoul Metropolitan Government.(2025-RISE-01-005-07).
文摘Background:Social connection is widely recognized as a protective determinant of health,yet its direct and indirect effects on mental health remain underexplored.This study examines the relationship between social connection and mental health,focusing on the mediating role of quality of life(QoL)and the moderating effect of regional differences.Methods:We analyzed data from the 2019 Korean Community Health Survey,comprising 229,099 adults.Mental health was assessed through validated measures of depressive symptoms and psychological well-being.Social connection was measured using indicators of interpersonal ties and community participation,and QoL was assessed via self-reported health-related satisfaction across major life domains.Analytical procedures included mediation modeling and subgroup analyses by region,with significance levels set at p<0.05.Results:The results indicate that social connections are significantly associated with lower stress levels and reduced depressive symptoms,with QoL playing a critical mediating role.Notably,the indirect effect of social connection on mental health via QoL is stronger in rural areas compared to urban regions,highlighting the importance of social cohesion and community support in mental well-being.Among 203,567 adults,greater social participation was associated with lower subjective stress(total effect=−0.052,p<0.001)and fewer depressive symptoms(PHQ-9 total effect=−0.308,p<0.001).QoL significantly mediated these associations,with the strongest indirect pathways observed through usual activities(19.2%for stress;27.6%for depression)and mobility(24.4%for depression).Regional analysis showed stronger mediation in rural areas(up to 26.8%for stress and 32.6%for depression)than in urban areas(8–16%and 14.9–23%).Direct effects remained significant,indicating partial mediation.These findings highlight that social participation enhances mental health directly and indirectly through QoL,particularly in rural contexts.Conclusions:Social connection contributes to better mental health both directly and indirectly through improved QoL,with stronger effects observed in rural communities.These findings highlight the importance of fostering social cohesion and enhancing life quality as strategies for improving population mental health.Policy interventions should adopt context-sensitive approaches that account for regional differences in social resources and service availability.
文摘With the speeding up of China’s urbanization process,the problems related to the left-behind children-especially the psychological matter–have become more and more prominent.To solve such kind of problems requires the intervention of the professionals like the social workers.Due to long term lack of companionship from the parents,the left-behind children suffers from insufficient emotion and internal innovation,which leads to low self efficiency.Furthermore,their poor communication skills with other people causes their withdrawal,suppress emotions,accumulate inwardly and result in severe negative impact.Therefore at this moment,emotional intervention becomes particularly crucial.The left-behind children can open up about their true thoughts through the communication with the social workers,who can promptly provide emotional comfort for their inner struggles to get result of mental nourishing.Therefore,emotional intervention renders service with warmth and highlights humanistic care.
文摘In recent years bird hunting has become a topical issue in public debate in Poland.Some organizations and communities actively engaged in nature conservation efforts propose a complete ban on hunting,arguing it needs to be introduced for ethical reasons and to ensure a more effective species protection.This discussion frequently involves cases when hunters break the law,illustrated by photographs published on social media,documenting culling of legally protected species.In response hunters mention the need to verify the sources and the context for published materials.
文摘Background:Depression is prevalent among female college students,with eating behavior potentially related to this issue.This study examines the relationship between eating behavior and depression,focusing on the role of social appearance anxiety and physical activity.Methods:We recruited 2161 female college students from nine universities in China via convenience sampling.Data was collected via an online questionnaire.Eating behavior was assessed via the Eating Behavior Scale short form(EBS-SF),depression was measured via the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale(CES-D),social appearance anxiety was evaluated via the Social Appearance Anxiety Scale,and physical activity was assessed via a single-item question.Descriptive statistics were analyzed via SPSS 26.0,and moderated mediation analysis was conducted via PROCESS version 3.5.Results:Unhealthy eating behavior was significantly associated with higher levels of depression(β=0.285,p<0.001).Social appearance anxiety mediated this relationship,accounting for 46%of the total effect(β=0.132,95%CI=[0.108,0.158]).The interaction effect between eating behavior and physical activity was significantly and negatively correlated with depression(β=−0.052,p<0.01).The association between eating behavior and depression was stronger under conditions of low physical activity(β=0.210,p<0.001)than under conditions of high physical activity(β=0.105,p<0.001).Conclusions:Integrating nutritional guidance,body image acceptance training,and exercise promotion into campus mental health programs is crucial for addressing depression in female college students.Future research should use longitudinal designs and broader participant ranges to increase the general applicability of the findings.
基金Under the auspices of the Key Projects of Philosophy and Social Sciences Research,Ministry of Education of China(No.23JZD008)National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.42171193)+2 种基金Key Project of Guangdong Provincial Philosophy and Social Sciences Planning(No.GD24ES013,GD25ZX04)2025 Guangzhou Basic and Applied Basic Research Special Project(No.2025A04J7127)Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities,Sun Yat-sen University(No.24wkjc11)。
文摘The shift toward specialized and large-scale agricultural production has spurred the emergence of agricultural clusters as key forces of rural vitalization and sustainable development.This paper explored the formation and evolution of Meizhou pomelo industry cluster in China,focusing on its role in restructuring rural socio-economic systems and integrating the whole value chains.Based on a case study employing qualitative methods such as in-depth interviews and participatory observation,the agricultural cluster evolution of Meizhou pomelo was categorized into three key phases of initial decentralization,self-organized scaling,and reorganized clustering.Geographical proximity and industrial agglomeration constitute the physical foundation,while vertical/horizontal linkages,technologic-al innovation,and policy support enhance competitiveness.Special mechanisms emerge through localized social networks,farmer co-operatives’activation,and cross-regional market expansion.The cluster’s impact is manifested in the shift from extensive to standard-ized and modernized production,diversified and flexible livelihood of farmers,and the integration of agriculture with industry and ser-vices.The development of the whole value chain based on agricultural cluster represents a critical pathway for achieving agricultural modernization,encompassing both internal and external value chain optimization.Through quality assurance systems,product diversi-fication strategies,operational efficiency improvements,and brand enhancement,these clusters amplify product value propositions and market competitiveness.This systemic approach facilitates supply-demand coordination,enables resource synergies,and optimizes eco-nomic returns across the horizontal and vertical value chain.This paper argues that agricultural clusters serve as strategic catalysts for sustainable rural development by reconstructing local production systems,fostering innovation ecosystems,and aligning agricultural modernization.It contributes to debates on rural vitalization by demonstrating how agricultural clustering can reconfigure rural areas as hubs of ecological modernization,rather than mere urban peripheries.
