Abstract:

The concept of guanxi differs between Chinese and Western contexts. As an indigenous Chinese concept, guanxi embodies the feature of "universal particularism". This paper aims to explore this characteristic and attempt to construct an indigenous paradigm for the study of guanxi. Specifically, "particularism" is manifested in the fact that the understanding of all relationships is inseparable from specific actors and their contextual settings, nor can it be fully explained by existing structural indicators. "Universality", on the other hand, is reflected in the fact that all relational practices adhere to the ethical principles of a"differential mode of association", proposed by Fei Xiaotong, meaning that actors inevitably define relationships through an internal moral compass of"putting oneself in others' shoes". This makes "particularity" a universal logic that permeates different contexts.This paper argues that the core of understanding guanxi lies in grasping the "attitude" based on the actor's perspective. This attitude is a comprehensive consideration of objective factors such as identity foundations, degrees of closeness, and reciprocity, as well as subjective factors including interaction history, current circumstances, and the actor's mindset. It represents the actor's integrated internal judgment when faced with a specific individual. This research paradigm has achieved a dual theoretical shift in guanxi studies: first, it moves away from "instrumental rationality" towards an "ethical foundation", rejecting the simplification of guanxi as utilitarian tools for the exchange of interests. Instead, it first places relationships within the ethical framework of the "differential mode of association", emphasizing how moral practices such as"putting oneself in others' shoes" and "empathy" profoundly shape the dynamics of relationship; Second, it shifts from "structural analysis" to an "actor's perspective", transcending the binary division between formal and informal relationships, and focusing on how actors' subjective "attitudes" dynamically construct the overall nature of relationships.

Key words: differential mode of association, particularism, guanxi, extending oneself to others, attitude