In a comprehensive new study examining how farmers in Jiangxi province, China, understand rural homestead policies, researchers have unveiled distinct generational divides shaped by varying degrees of personal, regional, and cultural influence. Drawing on empirical data from nearly two and a half thousand farmers across diverse villages, the analysis reveals that older and newer generations perceive and internalize policy information in remarkably different ways. These distinctions are not merely academic; they illuminate fundamental challenges and opportunities in implementing land-use regulations during times of institutional change.
At the heart of this investigation lies the concept of “policy cognition”—the extent to which individuals grasp, interpret, and integrate policy information into their personal frameworks. Here, two generational cohorts are compared: the older farmers (OFs) who maintain long-standing rural traditions, and the newer farmers (NFs), shaped by China’s rapid urbanization and economic reforms. The study found that OFs generally exhibit lower levels of understanding regarding specific homestead policies than their younger counterparts. This disparity underscores a complex interplay of historical context, socio-economic shifts, and institutional communication strategies.
The homestead policy cognition gaps between generations are most pronounced in areas concerning land ownership and policy constraints. For instance, the question of whether rural homesteads are collectively owned by villages—a key issue linked to land over-occupation and reallocation challenges—showed the largest cognitive divide. Older farmers, steeped in traditional clan-based values, often misinterpret homesteads as private property, a notion intricately tied to familial identity and rural belonging. Younger farmers, however, influenced by China’s reform and opening-up policies, tend to perceive homesteads more through a contemporary property rights lens, reflecting shifting residency patterns and economic motivations.
Crucially, the research highlights that OFs’ low cognition of village collective ownership can be traced partly to the weakened status of village collective economic organizations. As these bodies lose influence, their capacity to guide and effectively communicate land policies diminishes, leaving a vacuum in rural governance. Conversely, NFs, more attuned to market dynamics and formal property regimes, demonstrate a comparatively higher, though still imperfect, grasp of such foundational land ownership policies. This uneven awareness complicates efforts to manage homestead resources sustainably and equitably.
Delving into the power structures influencing policy cognition, the study dissects personal, regional, and cultural factors and their varying significance across generations. Personal power—comprising elements like education and engagement in village rule-making—shows a stronger positive correlation with policy understanding among OFs. Educated older farmers or those involved in creating village regulations exhibit notably higher policy awareness, suggesting that traditional forms of social capital and local governance continue to shape cognition pathways for this group.
In stark contrast, this personal power effect diminishes amongst NFs. The younger generation, benefitting from China’s sustained investment in universal basic education post-reform, approaches policy information differently. Their schooling and broader societal exposure mitigate individual disparities in education, while their orientation toward formal laws rather than informal village rules reflects a broader institutional realignment. This divergence indicates a gradual but profound transformation in how rural populations engage with policy environments, necessitating tailored communication and governance approaches.
Regional power, defined by environmental and geographic conditions, emerged as a fundamental influence shaping cognition for both generational groups. Intriguingly, farmers residing in more topographically complex regions—such as mountainous or hilly areas—demonstrate greater policy awareness. This phenomenon likely stems from heightened land scarcity and human-environment pressures, which intensify the perceived value of homestead resources and amplify compliance motivations. Thus, landscape factors not only condition physical land use but also cognitive engagement with policies governing these spaces.
Cultural power—encapsulating elements like information dissemination and policy campaign effectiveness—also plays a critical role in shaping policy cognition. While both older and newer farmers respond positively to cultural power influences, subtle differences arise. OFs rely heavily on traditional information channels, notably village cadres, to receive policy messages. This reliance, however, can propagate inaccuracies or reinforce misinformation due to limited vetting and a “multiplier effect” of errors. NFs, with access to a wider information ecosystem and possibly digital channels, face risks of information overload and lower quality content, potentially undermining effective policy cognition.
These nuanced findings shed light on the contemporary challenges facing rural policy implementation amid China’s ongoing institutional transformation. While the government’s Three-Year Action Program in Jiangxi province has effectively propagated at least one rural homestead policy to most farmers across generations, lingering gaps in comprehension and institutional trust hamper overall efficacy. The study’s evidence suggests that reinforcing both the quality and quantity of information channels is critical, alongside designing policies that reflect diverse regional realities and generational perspectives.
Notably, the formation mechanisms of homestead policy cognition diverge fundamentally between OFs and NFs. For older farmers, a sequential cognitive path emerges—regional power first informs personal power, which in turn shapes cultural power that ultimately determines policy cognition. The younger generation, however, transitions directly from regional through cultural power, bypassing personal channels. This distinction underscores the erosion of traditional social roles and individual agency in policy engagement among the youth, reflecting shifting socio-political dynamics.
Moreover, this generational divergence has important implications for addressing systemic issues like land over-occupation, inefficient land reuse, and conflict management. The misconception about ownership and policy limits can exacerbate land misuse, stifle effective land transfer mechanisms, and perpetuate rural-urban divides. Therefore, bridging these cognitive gaps is not merely an academic exercise but a prerequisite for sustainable rural development and social stability.
The study’s methodology, encompassing survey data of 2445 farmers from 345 villages across 37 counties in a province emblematic of rural China, lends robustness and granularity to these conclusions. This large-scale empirical approach provides a rare window into the cognitive landscapes of rural populations undergoing rapid institutional recalibration. By integrating Distributed Cognition Theory (DCT), the authors offer a conceptual framework that captures the diffusion of knowledge and power across individual, community, and structural levels of analysis.
From a policy perspective, the research advocates for differentiated messaging strategies tailored to distinct generational cohorts. Enhancing older farmers’ education and participation opportunities could empower them to better align with formal policy regimes, while leveraging digital and multi-channel communications may better serve younger farmers’ preferences. Similarly, acknowledging regional heterogeneity—such as terrain complexity—in policy design and outreach can boost efficacy by resonating with farmers’ lived realities.
Furthermore, strengthening village collective organizations and clarifying ownership rights could rebuild trust and enhance policy guidance mechanisms for rural populations. Simultaneously, addressing the quality of information flow through village cadres and expanding reliable, diverse information sources can mitigate misinformation risks for OFs. For NFs, managing information overload by curating high-quality, accessible policy content is equally vital.
Ultimately, this research not only advances understanding of intergenerational cognition differences in rural policy contexts but also exemplifies how institutional change intersects with cultural, spatial, and personal dimensions of knowledge formation. Its insights extend beyond Jiangxi to broader rural development challenges in rapidly transforming societies, foregrounding the need for nuanced, multi-level policy communication strategies.
As China continues to navigate the delicate balance between preserving rural traditions and accelerating modernization, appreciating the cognitive heterogeneity within farming communities becomes imperative. This study provides a foundational step toward that goal, urging policymakers, scholars, and community leaders to consider how differing perceptions, shaped by generational histories and spatial contexts, influence the implementation and success of vital rural policies.
Subject of Research:
Intergenerational differences in farmers’ cognition of rural homestead policies amid institutional change in Jiangxi province, China.
Article Title:
Intergenerational differences in the homestead policy cognition of farmers within the context of institutional change: empirical evidence from villages in Jiangxi province, China.
Article References:
Li, M., Zhan, N., Zhang, T. et al. Intergenerational differences in the homestead policy cognition of farmers within the context of institutional change: empirical evidence from villages in Jiangxi province, China. Humanit Soc Sci Commun 12, 536 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-025-04861-5
Image Credits: AI Generated
