Abstract: Rural digital governance constitutes a critical pathway for stimulating the endogenous dynamics of rural revitalization. However, the practical application of digital technology in rural governance has not only failed to yield the anticipated results but has also spawned new governance conundrums, causing governance practice to degenerate from "smart governance" to "stagnant governance". To explicate this phenomenon, this study introduces the theoretical concept of "digital embedding alienation in rural governance". Based on fieldwork conducted in the first batch of 13 pilot counties (including county-level cities and districts) for digital rural development in Province Y, this study utilizes the Gioia methodology to classify alienation types and constructs the institution-behavior analytical framework within the context of the pressure-based system to dissect its generative mechanisms.The findings reveal that digital embedding alienation in rural governance primarily manifests in three core types: structural embedding alienation, relational embedding alienation, and resource embedding alienation. Viewed through the theoretical lens of the pressure-based system, the generation of digital embedding alienation stems not from technological anomie or individual behavioral deviations, but rather from the interaction between the internal inducements of institutional pressure and the adaptive behaviors of actors. Specifically, the pressure-based system systematically drives rural actors—including local governments, grassroots cadres, and villagers—to adopt adaptive behaviors through mechanisms such as quantitative task decomposition, performance evaluation, and accountability. This process, in turn, engenders distinct types of digital embedding alienation.

Key words: rural digital governance, rural governance, digital governance, digital embedding alienation