Research on the mutual contribution of higher arts education to rural cultural revitalization

Fan Jie(College of Art, Beijing Union University)
Yu Yang(College of Art, Beijing Union University)

Abstract

Against the backdrop of national strategies for smart village development and rural cultural revitalization, this study focuses on the fundamental role of higher arts education. Rural literacy, as an indicator of improved cultural literacy, has expanded its scope to encompass a multidimensional cultural perception that embraces audiovisual and experiential dimensions. Drawing on the artistic practices of popular culture, this article explores how higher education in the arts can transcend the traditional transmission of knowledge and economic empowerment. It examines how such education can respond profoundly to the spiritual nourishment needs of rural residents on their path to material prosperity, particularly through the transmission and revitalization of intangible cultural heritage (ICH) skills. The central research question is: in the context of smart villages and expanded rural reading initiatives, how can higher education in the arts achieve aesthetic healing and functional social reconstruction of rural communities through popular artistic practices, thereby realizing a dual revitalization of material and spiritual dimensions?

The research methodology employs field surveys in the ancient town of Yongning and case studies of participatory practice course activities. Drawing on ethnosociology, the theory of strangeness, and the theory of aesthetic healing, the study examines three dimensions: the social field, innovative methodology, and fundamental objectives. Using the practice of the ancient city of Yongning as a case study, it addresses how higher education in the arts can achieve deep reciprocity in rural cultural revitalization through aesthetic healing pathways. This research aims to reveal the unique value of higher education in the arts in promoting mental well-being within rural communities, repairing social relationships, and rebuilding cultural identity. It also provides theoretical foundations and practical guidance for creating sustainable models of rural cultural revitalization.

Keywords

Rural cultural revitalization; Higher education in the arts; Popular culture; Ethno-socio-aesthetics; Foreigner effect; Field research

References

J Liu, Y Qi， Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Promotes Rural

Revitalization， J. Manag. Soc. Develop [J], 2024

Yu Xia，Promotion of Rural Revitalization Strategy Implementation in Cultural and Rural Development Environment，2024 8th International Conference on Education Technology, Management and Humanities Science，2024

Rui Sun, Rural education revitalisation in the context of national cultural Revival, Journal of Sociology and Ethnology[J], 2022

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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.12345/ret.v8i2.33967