Emotional dynamics and hearing differentiation under a unified procedure: a field study of grassroots procuratorial hearings in China

Vollständiger Abstract

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Introduction Grassroots procuratorial hearings in China operate under nationally standardized procedural regulations intended to ensure consistency and procedural uniformity. Yet hearings conducted within the same institutional framework often unfold in different ways. Existing studies have primarily explained procuratorial hearings through institutional arrangements, procedural functions, and ritual authority, providing limited insight into the micro-level processes through which such variation emerges. This study examines how emotional dynamics shape the differentiation of grassroots procuratorial hearing practices. Methods The study draws on immersive qualitative fieldwork involving 20 grassroots procuratorial hearings conducted across eight district-level procuratorates in a provincial capital city. Data include field notes, hearing transcripts, observational records, and anonymized case materials. Guided by a four-dimensional analytical framework consisting of emotional arousal, emotional expression, emotional negotiation, and affective empathy, the study employs abductive thematic analysis to identify recurring patterns of interaction. Results The findings suggest that standardized procedures provide merely the institutional framework within which hearings unfold. Different forms of hearing practice emerge through distinct configurations of emotional processes. Three relatively stable interactional patterns were identified: assembly-line compliance, gladiatorial confrontation, and negotiated empathy. Among the four dimensions, emotional negotiation emerged as the key mechanism linking individual emotional experiences to collective interactional outcomes. The framework also explains variations in hearing officers’ participation, ranging from procedural detachment to active empathic engagement, as well as atypical cases that do not fully conform to dominant patterns. Discussion This study develops an emotion-centered perspective for understanding grassroots procuratorial hearings and offers a unified explanation for hearing differentiation under a common procedural framework. Foregrounding emotional dynamics as a central component of judicial interaction, it contributes to research on judicial rituals and judicial emotions while providing practical insights for improving grassroots hearing practices.