Chinese Journal of Sociology ›› 2015, Vol. 35 ›› Issue (1): 74-91.

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On Social Ground: Fieldwork Experience and Thoughts

Author 1:YANG Shanhua,Deparment of Sociology,Peking University;Author 2:SUN Feiyu,Deparment of Sociology,Peking University   

  • Online:2015-01-20 Published:2015-01-20
  • Contact: SUN Feiyu,Deparment of Sociology,Peking University, Email:sunfeiyu@pku.edu.cn E-mail:sunfeiyu@pku.edu.cn
  • About author:Author 1:YANG Shanhua,Deparment of Sociology,Peking University Author 2:SUN Feiyu,Deparment of Sociology,Peking University

Abstract:

 How to understand the internal operational mechanism of Chinese society? As the core question of Chinese sociological scholar’s efforts of building up the subjectivity of China’s sociology, this question faces simultaneously three challenges: the research object, the research method, and how researchers define themselves. As a result of this effort, and based on our fieldwork experiences in both rural and urban Chinese societies, we intend to answer this question from an unusual angle. We coined a concept of “social ground”, referring to those“unchanged/stable subjects” in the history of Chinese society. This paper tries to explore this conception from such perspectives as the wisdom of life, familyoriented culture, morality, popularity and reputation, in order to understand the concept against the transformation of modern Chinese society. Our research finds out that the social ground which has always possessed the traditional characteristics does not oppose the transformation of the society. On the country, it combines with the new historical conditions and thus produces new possibilities of history while keeps its deepest historical meaning.

Key words:   life wisdom , family , oriented culture, social ground