From Hardware to Platform:Platformization of Rural Governance in China
The development of media technology has continually driven changes in rural social interaction and governance.As digital platforms gradually penetrate into national governance,rural governance has taken on new forms,reflecting the shifting logic of state regulation over grassroots society.This paper takes the smart monitoring and the social governance platform behind it as a case study,exploring the practical transformations brought about by digital platforms in rural governance through field research,walkthrough method,and analyses of relevant news reports and policy documents.The study finds that smart monitoring has gradually entered rural areas and become routine.In the process of interacting with rural society,the"decentralization"of smart monitoring functions and the"re-centralization"of data not only provide villagers with opportunities for self-management of family but also enable them to serve the government's governance.The smart monitoring is not just a material hardware,but also an Internet of Things(IoT)platform developed and operated by the state and communication operators.Therefore,what enters rural areas is not only a hardware but also an IoT platform that can connect villagers,capital,and the government,thus bringing about the platformization of family activities and rural governance.
smart monitoringrural governanceplatformizationInternet of Things(IoT)smart home
NETL
NSTL
万方数据
