The Evolutionary Mechanism and Guidance of Case Generalization in Education-Related Public Opinion in Shaanxi

DOI: https://doi.org/10.62517/jnme.202610311

Author(s)

Haibao Zhan*

Affiliation(s)

School of Journalism and Communication, Northwest University of Political Science and Law, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China *Corresponding Author

Abstract

In the era of big data, public opinion on education frequently follows an extraordinary pattern: a single, locally contained incident is extracted from its original context and then, within a very short time, transformed into a broad denunciation of educational inequality, social mobility and institutional trust. At the same time, this process of case generalisation is both very damaging and very feasible for the development of education-related public opinion. In short, it is qualitative rather than quantitative; a particular fact is abstracted and extrapolated into a problem that carries a general argument about values, which is a leap in kind rather than an extension in scope. Taking the transition from case to issue as the object of analysis, this paper puts forward a four-stage generative chain of triggering, symbolization, consensus formation and crystallization and migration to explain the internal logic of case generalization in Shaanxi, and places this logic within the structural conditions specific to the province, including the concentration of high-quality educational resources, urban-rural and regional disparities, the close connection between education and housing, and frequent changes in enrollment policies. Based on the above, a set of guidance mechanisms has been constructed to interrupt the chain of generalisation, and it is proposed that the focus of guidance should shift from controlling events to regulating mechanisms, and from clarifying facts to addressing anxieties beneath them; multi-actor coordination will be employed to close the loop of monitoring, early warning and response, while paying attention to the limits and risks of intervention.

Keywords

Education-Related Public Opinion; Case Generalization; Evolutionary Mechanism; Public Opinion Guidance; Collaborative Governance

References

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