Multiple Paths Connecting Poverty Alleviation and Rural Revitalization from the Perspective of Functional Configuration: An fsQCA Analysis

Alleviating rural poverty plays a critical role in achieving comprehensive rural revitalization. This study selects typical villages in karst rocky desertification poverty-stricken mountainous areas as the research objects and applies fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) and necessary condition analysis (NCA). Using an element–structure–function framework, this paper explores the driving mechanism of the multi-factor linkage of rural regional systems and the revitalization of poverty-stricken villages. The results show that single antecedent conditions are not necessary conditions for the rural revitalization of poverty-stricken villages. There are seven distinct pathways to achieve the revitalization of poverty-stricken villages, which are categorized into function–structure driven types, function–element driven types, and function–structure–element driven types. Each type has different configurations of influencing factors. This study uncovers the complex interaction mechanism among multiple factors behind the rural revitalization of poverty-stricken villages from a systematic perspective, offering insights to guide targeted local policy development.