Resilience-based cultural inheritance in ethnic communities: scale development from the perspective of sustainable tourism development

Introduction The excessive commercialization and spatial compression resulting from tourism endanger the continuity of intangible cultural heritage (ICH) within ethnic communities. Resilience plays a critical role in the sustainable inheritance of ICH; however, the analysis of cultural inheritance through the lens of resilience remains inadequate, highlighting the need for theoretical exploration and evaluation. This study introduces the “Resilience-Based Cultural Inheritance (RBCI)” framework and develops an associated scale to address these deficiencies. Methods A mixed-methods approach was utilized in two representative ethnic communities in Guizhou, China, the Xijiang Miao and Zhaoxing Dong communities. In the first study, grounded theory was employed to elucidate the dimensions of RBCI. Multiple data sources, including interviews, online reviews, and travelogues, were employed to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the concepts. The second study involved three critical procedures for scale development and validation: item generation, structural exploration, and validity testing. These steps were undertaken to develop a comprehensive measurement tool to assess the cultural inheritance status of ICH in ethnic communities. Results This research introduces the concept of RBCI and constructs and validates its four-dimensional theoretical framework, which includes Cultural Core Activation (CCA), Dynamical Cultural Contexts (DCC), Moderate Cultural Adaptations (MCA), and Valuable Cultural Outcomes (VCO). Furthermore, it rigorously develops a 14-item RBCI scale characterized by strong reliability and validity. The RBCI framework integrates spontaneous resilience mechanisms and proactive adaptation strategies to mitigate external disturbances and achieve sustainability. Discussion This study operationalizes the core principles of resilience theory into distinct dimensions of cultural inheritance, emphasizing proactive adaptability as a unique resilience mechanism within cultural systems and moderate adaptation as a balanced process that remains aligned with core values. This study not only provides a management tool for assessing ICH inheritance in ethnic villages but also deepens the understanding of cultural inheritance and sustainable development from a resilience perspective.