"Rule of Law in the Square": A Legal Culture Square from the Perspective of Social Space Theory

Abstract

Over the past two decades, China has built more than 12,000 rule-of-law culture squares, which have become important material carriers for legal education and rule-of-law construction in the new era. Rule-of-law culture squares are not only an integral part of urban public spaces, but also a vivid manifestation of the deep integration of rule-of-law culture with social life. They are increasingly becoming important places for the public to access the law and perceive the rule of law, bearing the important functions of disseminating the spirit of the rule of law, shaping legal beliefs, and building social consensus. Currently, the construction of rule-of-law culture squares still faces two prominent practical dilemmas: the formalistic problem of " uniformity across cities " and the problem of insufficient public participation. To address this, we should promote the integration of rule-of-law culture squares into daily life scenarios to enhance the public's sense of closeness and identification, and realize the localization and localization of square construction; at the same time, we should create rule-of-law culture spaces that combine interactivity and aesthetic appeal, promoting their transformation from one-way educational platforms to multi-functional activity centers, so that rule-of-law culture squares truly become important platforms for local rule-of-law practice and promote the deep integration of rule-of-law construction and local social governance.