The impact of social networks on rural residents' engagement in living environment upgrade: An integrated analysis drawing on social network theory and the theory of planned behavior.

The issue of rural living environment is a critical concern for China and the global community, intricately intertwined with regional economic development. The proactive involvement of rural residents, who are both beneficiaries and influencers of the environment, constitutes a cornerstone in improv...

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Main Authors: Gulsanam Amat, Jing Wang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2025-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0312779
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author Gulsanam Amat
Jing Wang
author_facet Gulsanam Amat
Jing Wang
author_sort Gulsanam Amat
collection DOAJ
description The issue of rural living environment is a critical concern for China and the global community, intricately intertwined with regional economic development. The proactive involvement of rural residents, who are both beneficiaries and influencers of the environment, constitutes a cornerstone in improving environmental standards. Therefore, the factors that shape rural residents' participation in living environment upgrade must be explored. Drawing upon the theory of planned behavior and social capital theory, this study employs a structural equation model (SEM) to comprehensively examine the determinants of rural residents' engagement in living environment upgrade, utilizing data from 334 households in Hebei Province, China. The findings can be summarized as follows: (1) Social networks, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and attitudes towards behavior significantly and positively impact rural residents' engagement in upgrading the living environment, (2) Attitudes towards behavior act as mediators between perceived behavioral control and rural residents' engagement in living environment upgrade, as well as between subjective norms and rural residents' engagement in living environmental upgrade. (3) Social networks could indirectly influence rural residents' engagement in living environment upgrade through the independent mediating effect of subjective norms and attitudes towards behavior, as well as through the chain mediating effect of the two. In conclusion, several managerial recommendations are proposed to stimulate rural residents' active participation in living environment upgrade.
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spelling doaj-art-8f3b54ba75694ef4ac15ddcbb81ea8fa2025-08-20T03:52:16ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032025-01-01201e031277910.1371/journal.pone.0312779The impact of social networks on rural residents' engagement in living environment upgrade: An integrated analysis drawing on social network theory and the theory of planned behavior.Gulsanam AmatJing WangThe issue of rural living environment is a critical concern for China and the global community, intricately intertwined with regional economic development. The proactive involvement of rural residents, who are both beneficiaries and influencers of the environment, constitutes a cornerstone in improving environmental standards. Therefore, the factors that shape rural residents' participation in living environment upgrade must be explored. Drawing upon the theory of planned behavior and social capital theory, this study employs a structural equation model (SEM) to comprehensively examine the determinants of rural residents' engagement in living environment upgrade, utilizing data from 334 households in Hebei Province, China. The findings can be summarized as follows: (1) Social networks, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and attitudes towards behavior significantly and positively impact rural residents' engagement in upgrading the living environment, (2) Attitudes towards behavior act as mediators between perceived behavioral control and rural residents' engagement in living environment upgrade, as well as between subjective norms and rural residents' engagement in living environmental upgrade. (3) Social networks could indirectly influence rural residents' engagement in living environment upgrade through the independent mediating effect of subjective norms and attitudes towards behavior, as well as through the chain mediating effect of the two. In conclusion, several managerial recommendations are proposed to stimulate rural residents' active participation in living environment upgrade.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0312779
spellingShingle Gulsanam Amat
Jing Wang
The impact of social networks on rural residents' engagement in living environment upgrade: An integrated analysis drawing on social network theory and the theory of planned behavior.
PLoS ONE
title The impact of social networks on rural residents' engagement in living environment upgrade: An integrated analysis drawing on social network theory and the theory of planned behavior.
title_full The impact of social networks on rural residents' engagement in living environment upgrade: An integrated analysis drawing on social network theory and the theory of planned behavior.
title_fullStr The impact of social networks on rural residents' engagement in living environment upgrade: An integrated analysis drawing on social network theory and the theory of planned behavior.
title_full_unstemmed The impact of social networks on rural residents' engagement in living environment upgrade: An integrated analysis drawing on social network theory and the theory of planned behavior.
title_short The impact of social networks on rural residents' engagement in living environment upgrade: An integrated analysis drawing on social network theory and the theory of planned behavior.
title_sort impact of social networks on rural residents engagement in living environment upgrade an integrated analysis drawing on social network theory and the theory of planned behavior
url https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0312779
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