The Impact of Clan Culture on Farmers' Participation in Environmental Behavior: Evidence from Fujian Province, China

Chinese rural society constitutes a social network system built upon kinship and geographical connections, within which clan culture plays a central role. Through ethical consensus and customary norms, clan culture internalizes the traditional ecological view of “harmonious coexistence between humans and nature” into farmers’ sense of environmental responsibility, thereby offering a low-cost and sustainable pathway for rural environmental protection. From the perspective of clan culture, this study investigates the impact of ritual-based protection order on farmers’ environmental protection behaviors, with a focus on the mediating role of village attachment. Using the distance between the township government seat and a renowned Song Dynasty academy as an instrumental variable for clan culture, the findings indicate: (1) Clan culture significantly promotes farmers’ participation in environmental protection by strengthening social norms and behavioral cognition. (2) Mediation analysis confirms that the endogenous mechanism through which clan culture influences environmental protection participation operates primarily by enhancing villagers’ sense of belonging, which is closely associated with social support and perceived identity. (3) Heterogeneity analysis reveals notable gender differences in the environmental protection effects of clan culture, with male farmers showing significantly higher levels of participation. This study validates the guiding function of traditional culture in rural environmental protection and provides practical insights for cultural protection within the framework of rural revitalization.