Digital technology mediated rural studies: Perspectives from social and cultural geography

Abstract

Along with the development of digital technology, the everyday life practice of local subjectivities are inevitably being interfered by digital technology, and the organization of social space is also being affected by the complex digitization. Despite that the current geographic studies have been increasingly characterized by a trend of "digital turn", the research topic of digital technology impact on rural social and cultural space still needs to be expanded. On this basis, this study first focused on how digital technology shapes and reshapes the spatial spectrum of the rural areas and constructed a theoretical framework of "human society-digital technology interaction". Then, it showed the importance of the social and cultural topics of the geography of digital technology and its value in rural revitalization by focusing on three main research topics: spatial governance, local place making, and temporality. Finally, based on the background of China's rural revitalization strategy, this study used the approach of social and cultural geography to conceptualize the case study of digital technology in rural areas, and explored the potential of digital technology intervention in rural development. The main purpose of this study was to explore the future development direction of the digital technology related to social and cultural geography, so as to appeal to the academic community to further examine the rural social space reconstruction caused by digital technology, and to provide suggestions and a reference for the future development strategy of comprehensive rural revitalization.