Bringing Narrative back to Policy Implementation： A Case Study of the Policies from Clarity to Ambiguity in Rural Collective Property Rights Reform
Gan Tian1 Zhang Lixia2
(1.School of Government， University of International Business and Economics， Beijing 100029；2.School of Government， Sun Yat-sen University， Guangzhou 510006)
Abstract：The essence of policy implementation lies in the effective transformation of policy objectives into local practices. Although policies with clarity are intended to achieve efficient execution through well-defined goals， detailed procedures， and standardized guidelines， their implementation often exhibits a degree of ambiguity in complex local governance environments. This study examines the implementation of the “qualification confirmation” policy in the rural collective property rights reform in T Sub-district， exploring the role of narrative strategies in the execution of clear policies. We construct a narrative model of policy implementation based on the dimensions of “subject-strategy-function-outcome”. The findings reveal that policy implementers employ four narrative strategies—narrative framing， narrative translation， narrative negotiation， and narrative simplification—to fulfill distinct functions： meaning empowerment， cognitive reconstruction， emotional adaptation， and normative alignment. Although these strategies contribute to the ambiguity of policy objectives， they simultaneously facilitate the successful implementation of the policy. This study demonstrates that narrative strategies not only serve as communication tools in policy implementation but also function as critical governance resources， endowing policies with flexibility and adaptability. By introducing a narrative perspective into policy implementation theory， this research deepens our understanding of implementers' roles in meaning construction and their narrative logic， offering practical guidance for the design and execution of complex policies.
甘 甜 张丽霞. 把叙事带回政策执行：农村集体产权改革中清晰政策模糊化的个案研究[J]. 华中师范大学学报（人文社会科学版）, 2025, 64(3): 55-69.
Gan Tian Zhang Lixia. Bringing Narrative back to Policy Implementation： A Case Study of the Policies from Clarity to Ambiguity in Rural Collective Property Rights Reform. journal1, 2025, 64(3): 55-69.
2025, Vol. 64 
