Page 122 - JCAU-7-2

Journal of Chinese
Architecture and Urbanism Heritage tourism: Personal and collective factors

In light of the aforementioned considerations, this phenomena. Scholars such as Zuo et al. have identified that
study proposes the following hypotheses: the relative deficiency in capital, managerial expertise, and
H : The perceived value of cultural heritage considerably technological skills among residents of tourist destinations
1
and positively affects emotions related to cultural often creates imbalanced power dynamics. These disparities
heritage. emerge between governments, developers, and resident
H : Emotions toward cultural heritage substantially stakeholders in designing participatory frameworks
2
and positively affect behaviors related to tourism for tourism. Such imbalance can erode community
development at cultural heritage sites. embeddedness in tourism development, fostering a
sense of alienation and resentment among residents.
2.2. Community embeddedness in heritage tourism Consequently, this undermines their collective identity
The notion of “embeddedness,” first proposed by Karl and hinders the sustainable progression of local tourism
(1990), posits that economic conduct is not isolated projects (He, 2024; Zuo, 2013). Jiang et al. (2024) have
but is deeply intertwined with social interactions, asserted that community self-organization, facilitated by
cultural traditions, political structures, and institutional tourism development, provides a vital platform for resident
frameworks. Polanyi’s (2018) argument has been essential self-governance, enhancing the community’s inherent
in recognizing that economic behaviors are influenced competitive advantage. This is essential for realizing the self-
by and embedded within a broader social context. interests of community advocates in tourism development.
Subsequent scholars, including Granovetter & McGuire Similarly, Lan et al. (2021) revealed that local residents’
(1998), have expanded on this notion, emphasizing positive perceptions of the benefits derived from tourism
that economic actions, outcomes, and institutions are development significantly bolster their affective solidarity
significantly influenced by the personal relationships of the and encourage their participation in value co-creation
individuals involved and the broader network structures activities. Žuvela et al. (2023) emphasize the pivotal role
in which these relationships exist. This viewpoint situates of the public sector, whose active involvement in both
economic activity within the social fabric, underscoring the development and conservation of cultural heritage
the interaction between economic and social domains. At significantly contributes to the sustainable preservation
the community level, embeddedness manifests through and enhancement of heritage assets. Emotional bonds
the seamless integration of social organizations, service forged among residents foster a strong sense of community,
facilities, and cultural practices within the community’s instilling intrinsic motivation to actively participate in the
environment (Wang & Li, 2024). This integration co-creation of tourism value.
encompasses not only the physical merging of spaces but To foster sustainable tourism development, it is essential
also the accrual of social capital, the formation of social to adopt a holistic approach that considers the extent and
networks, and the cultivation of social trust. The essence of significance of community involvement. Moreover, it is
community embeddedness is characterized by cognitive, essential to enhance individuals’ cognitive and emotional
relational, structural, and institutional dimensions: engagement with tourism through educational efforts and
• Cognitive embeddedness reflects the shared values and cultural outreach programs.
beliefs of residents, influenced by cultural heritage.
The scholarly investigation of residents’ attitudes
• Institutional embeddedness refers to policy elements, toward tourism development frequently neglects a crucial
including governance norms and power structures, aspect: the mediating effect of the local organizational
relevant to the conservation and development of environment on individual behavioral reactions. The
tourism assets. theory of community embeddedness asserts that human
• Relational embeddedness underscores the social actions are neither entirely independent of social context
connections and interactions among community nor wholly restricted by social standards (Granovetter,
members.
• Structural embeddedness focuses on individuals’ 1985). Instead, these actions are inextricably connected to
specific, contemporary social structures and the dynamics
social statuses and roles within the community.
of social relationships (Li et al., 2020b).
Together, these dimensions affect residents’ views, At the intersection of tourism and heritage conservation,
ultimately shaping their attitudes and behaviors regarding community embeddedness acts as an external element
local tourism development. influencing the behavioral decision-making of individuals
In contemporary academic discussions, community involved in heritage tourism. Communities, as stewards
embeddedness theory has gained prominence in of cultural heritage, establish both formal and informal
explaining the multifaceted dynamics of tourism structures that significantly impact the behavioral decisions

Volume 7 Issue 2 (2025) 4 https://doi.org/10.36922/jcau.5739