Clan ties, collective minds: the persistent impact of Chinese kinship structures on modern collectivism

Cultural psychology identifies the individualism–collectivism (I/C) framework as a core cultural dimension for explaining variation in human behaviour. Previous research on cultural evolution has focused mainly on ecological factors, while the contribution of social structures has received less attention. The dissolution of kin-based institutions in Western societies, including the historical role of the Catholic Church, is widely discussed in explanations of individualism; however, comparable analyses of the Chinese clan system remain limited. This study examines how long-standing clan institutions relate to contemporary collectivistic orientations in China. We address this question using a multi-method design comprising three studies. Study 1 analyses questionnaire data from 6700 participants and finds that stronger engagement in clan-related activities is associated with higher levels of collectivism. Study 2 uses social media data from about 300,000 individuals across 190 cities and reports a consistent positive association between local clan presence and collectivism. Study 3 extends these results by integrating district-level census and historical data. A mediation analysis of 816 counties and districts suggests that greater road distance from Beijing is associated with stronger clan institutions, which in turn relates to regional variation in I/C. These findings underscore the continued relevance of historically rooted social structures for understanding contemporary cultural patterns.