Research on the Construction Logic of Community Governance Collectives under the “Structure-Action” Framework—A Practical Exploration Based on YC District, SX City

Abstract

The construction of a community governance collective is an important practical pathway for advancing the modernization of grassroots governance and governance capabilities. However, existing research often analyzes this from the single dimension of either structure or action. While this has enriched our understanding of the pathways for constructing community governance collectives, it still lacks a systematic explanation of how structure and action complement each other in specific governance contexts. Based on this, this paper introduces Giddens’s theory of structuration and, using the “contract-based” co-construction practice in YC District, SX City, Zhejiang Province, as a case study, constructs a “structure-action” analytical framework to explore the internal logic of the formation of community governance collectives. The study finds that the construction of the community governance collectives in YC District is not the result of a single structural element or mere actor action, but rather the product of the coupled interaction between structure and action. Structural elements provide institutional boundaries, value orientations, and practical conditions for governance actions, while actors adapt and reshape existing structures in response to real-world governance issues. This process propels community governance relationships from interest-based connections toward emotional identification, achieving a transition from decentralized governance to collective-based governance. The relatively mature “contract-based” co-construction practice path thus formed provides valuable practical experience for effective grassroots community governance during the 15th Five-Year Plan period.