"Extinction" or "Replacement"?-Functional Evolution and Symbolic Reproduction of Ancestral Hall Culture in the Process of Modernization

DOI: https://doi.org/10.62517/jmsd.202512617

Author(s)

Yuetong Xu

Affiliation(s)

College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China

Abstract

Based on 503 valid questionnaires and secondary data, this study empirically examines the functional evolution and symbolic reproduction of ancestral hall culture in the process of modernization. The study found that the function of ancestral halls is transforming from a single sacrificial site to a multi-faceted and complex cultural carrier. Functional perception shows generational differentiation: 48.31 percent of respondents still see it as a "family identity mark", but 28.83 percent of ancestral halls have expanded new functions such as tourism reception in the past five years. Economically, there is a coexistence of path dependence and innovation. Income mainly relies on government subsidies (46.52%) and donations from relatives (43.54%), while market-oriented income such as tickets (8.95%) and cultural and creative products (15.11%) still accounts for a low proportion. The main forces driving the transformation are local governments (41.57%) and clans/councils (26.13%). Correlation and regression analysis further revealed the "cognitive-emotion-behavior" transmission mechanism: cognition of ancestral hall function significantly positively predicted emotional attitude (Beta=0.354, p<0.001), while the sense of responsibility for cultural inheritance directly drove willingness to participate (Beta=0.257, p<0.001). The study suggests that the survival of ancestral hall culture is not a simple "disappearance" or "replacement", but rather a creative transformation through "functional adaptation" and "symbolic reconstruction", and the key to its successful inheritance lies in the dynamic balance of institutional guarantee, subject collaboration and symbolic innovation. In the future, challenges such as digital empowerment and intergenerational integration need to be focused on to promote its dynamic inheritance.

Keywords

Ancestral Temple Culture; Functional Evolution; Symbol Reproduction; Modernization Process

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