A Study of Differences in Audience Affective Perceptions of Non-heritage Documentaries

In the milieu of globalization, a kaleidoscope of cultures is intricately weaving together, catalyzing a heightened consciousness towards the pivotal role of safeguarding and bequeathing the ethereal vestiges of intangible cultural heritage. This quintessential facet of China’s venerable traditional ethos serves as a conduit for engendering a profound resonance of cultural empathy among the populace. Our scholarly inquiry delves into the realm of documentary cinematography, spotlighting the intangible cultural legacies emblematic of four distinct provinces: Anhui, Shandong, Shanxi, and Yunnan. This exploration seeks to discern the variegated emotional and cognitive perceptions harbored by audiences of diverse provenances in relation to these cinematic chronicles of intangible cultural heritage. The empirical evidence unearthed reveals several nuanced insights: (1) The emotional and cognitive engagement with these documentaries manifests a remarkable uniformity across gender lines, evidencing no substantial disparities; (2) A predilection for higher appraisal of these documentaries was notably more pronounced among the younger demographic as opposed to those aged 50 and beyond; (3) Viewers possessing an academic or professional background in film, television, and the arts accorded significantly loftier evaluations than their counterparts from the realms of design and the liberal arts; (4) Evaluations tendered by individuals with educational attainments spanning from high school to doctoral studies markedly outstripped those emanating from junior college affiliates; (5) Notably, audiences hailing from Yunnan Province bestowed upon the quartet of documentaries concerning intangible cultural heritage, ratings that significantly eclipsed those proffered by viewers from other provinces.