Abstract: With various market and social forces participating in rural construction, “peasants’ subjectivity” in the interaction between peasants and external forces has become an increasingly prominent issue. This article discusses the connotation of “peasants’ subjectivity” through a case study of a planning and design company’s “Beautiful Village Protection Project ” in Fanglin Village， S Province， and analyzes the foundation of the “uneven” subjectivity among peasants in practice. Built upon existing research， this article examines “peasants’ subjectivity” at three levels: peasants’ willingness to participate， their ability to act in a coordinated manner， and their sense of responsibility in rural construction projects. Through the discussion of the case， this article proposes a concept of “peasants’ subjectivity” in the “circle structure” of village social relations. The “circle structure” is the basic perspective from which peasants understand the relationship between external projects and themselves. When the key figures in the project change， their willingness to participate and enthusiasm for action would also change. The “circle structure” is the infrastructure for peasants’ cooperation. When the core members of the circle fail to have outward visions and properly handle the interests of different groups， the closed nature of the circle itself would make it difficult for the organisation to act in coordination. Finally， the “circle structure” is also a source of motivation for people to regard common affairs as their own responsibility. Only through their ethical connections with specific people and driven by examples of good leaders can peasants be continuously inspired to dedicate themselves to work and share risks with others.

Key words: peasants’ subjectivity, circle structure, rural construction, key figures