2015 Vol.35

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Back to Historical Views, Reconstructing the Imagination of Sociology: New Tradition of Classical and Historical Studies in Modern Chinese Transformation QU Jingdong Chinese Journal of Sociology    2015, 35 (1): 1-25.   Abstract （1930）   HTML    PDF（pc） （871KB）（2612）       Knowledge map    Save Historical perspectives are the way to reconstruct the imagination of sociology, as classical sociologists did. There are many historical dimensions in Karl Marx’s social studies: dialectical analysis on history of nature; structural perspective on prehistory of the present and history of the present; reconstructed narratives of historical events; and finally, evolution of family, ownership, state, and social formations. In the same sense, in order to understand the reality of Chinese sociey, we’d better examine the transformation of modern Chinese social thoughts and their contexts. By reinterpreting theory of the Three Eras from classics Spring and Autumn Annals, Kang Youwei proposed that the establishment of the Idea of Cosmos Unity as the universal value for world history and the building of Confucius Religion for cultivation of mores had resulted in the successful transformation of Chinese society from Era of War to Era of Peace. On the contrary, Zhang Taiyan upheld the tradition of “Six Classics are all Histories”, and pushed forward the academic change from classics to history, which was carried out by Wang Guowei and Chen Yinke. Through the method of synthetical deduction in social sciences, Wang Guowei interpreted classics by history in the work of Institutional Change in Yin and Zhou Dynasty, confirming the original principle of Zhou Regime and Etiquette on basis of patriarchal clan system, and its spirit of law, mores and institutions. On the other hand, Chen Yinke investigated thoroughly the Middle Age of Chinese history from perspective of concourse and interattestation, and outlined a historical landscape of interfusion between Hu and Han nationalities, mixing of various religions, migration of diverse crowds, and integration of different cultures and mores. In short, there are two waves of change of thoughts in Chinese modern transformation, which set up the new tradition of Classical and Historical Studies, and institutional and spiritual sources of social and political construction from then on. Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0） Cited: Baidu(8)

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The Mourning Apparel System and Social Structure in China ZHOU Feizhou Chinese Journal of Sociology    2015, 35 (1): 26-48.   Abstract （1643）   HTML    PDF（pc） （1750KB）（1474）       Knowledge map    Save This paper is trying to explore the links between the contemporary social structure and the traditional mourning apparel system in China. In ancient China, there was so called sangfu (the mourning apparel) system that when a person died, his or her relatives wore special clothes for a special period to express their mourning. The pattern of the clothes and the length of mourning period had five classes, and the relatives wore different classes of clothes according to their relationship with the dead. For the closest relatives, the mourning apparel is the “heaviest” and the mourning period longest, and the clothes become “lighter” and mourning period shorter along with the relationship becoming more and more distant. This was called qinqin principle (being nicer to one’s closer relatives) in the mourning apparel system. Another principle was called zunzun (being more respectful for your older or higher authoritative relatives) which means that for father, grandfather etc. or higher male political leaders, the mourning class should be heavier and longer. The system was thus a “circle” with the self as the center. This system is actually the institutional base of chaxugeju, a concept coined by Professor Fei Xiaotong in his famous book, From the Soil: The Foundations of the Chinese Society. Based on the analysis of classical literature and the study of Confucian classics, the author points out that the two principles of the system are respectively “ren” (benevolence) mentioned by Confucius and “yi” (righteousness) by Mencius. They are the two most important virtues in ancient China. In contemporary era, to a large extent, the social structure is still based on the social circles in which guanxi and renqing are the most important considerations among social actors, as the Chinese still regard ren and yi as the important virtues in social relationships. Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0） Cited: Baidu(9)

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Ancestor and Chinese Lineage：What the Great Chinese Minds Thought about It LIN Hu Chinese Journal of Sociology    2015, 35 (1): 49-73.   Abstract （1081）   HTML    PDF（pc） （939KB）（759）       Knowledge map    Save  As widely agreed, lineage is one of the keys to understand traditional Chinese society. Nevertheless, ignoring ancient discourses on lineage, current scholarship often assumes that lineage was made and remade by and for power. Instead, this article argues that we must take efforts to understand what the great Chinese minds thought about lineage and why, not taking the modern or postmodern position for granted. As a small step moving towards this goal, the paper gives an outline of lineage theory contained in Confucius Classics and that of NeoConfucians. In Classics, lineage theory is composed of three parts: Zongfa, Mourning system, and ancestral temple system. Zongfa, the center of lineage theory, is the organizing principle of lineage that mandates that only the wife’s eldest son can serve as the lineage head, whose main responsibility is to lead the lineage to offer sacrifices to ancestors. While the Mourning system is also mainly based on social relationship, personal virtue plays a minor but important role. On the other hand, ancestral temple system is built largely according to personal virtue. Lineage activities center on funerals and sacrifices, and lineage head is granted neither political nor economic power to control the lineage. While NeoConfucians inherited the main spirit of Classics, they also modified classical lineage theory in important ways in order to come to terms with the changing social reality. First, NeoConfucians allowed commoners to adopt Zongfa as the ruling principle for lineage making, because economic development and social mobility produced many rich and welleducated commoners. Secondly, the political hierarchy embedded in the ancestral temple system was largely abandoned. In Classics, ancestral temple system served as a supplement to Zongfa. But for NeoConfucians, the predicament was exactly the dying influence of Zongfa. Therefore, under this circumstance, ancestral temple became the main focus for the rebirth of Zongfa. In short, this article argues that ancient discourses on lineage were not ideologies as frivolously assumed, but provide complex and insightful thoughts on human nature. At least partially due to this, lineage has played a long and vigorous role in Chinese society. Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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On Social Ground: Fieldwork Experience and Thoughts YANG Shanhua SUN Feiyu Chinese Journal of Sociology    2015, 35 (1): 74-91.   Abstract （1079）   HTML    PDF（pc） （733KB）（1163）       Knowledge map    Save  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. Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0） Cited: Baidu(5)

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Analyzing the Corrosive and Differential Roles of Social Eating in Political Trust：The Side Effects of Guanxi Capital CHEN Yunsong BIAN Yanjie Chinese Journal of Sociology    2015, 35 (1): 92-120.   Abstract （1422）   HTML    PDF（pc） （811KB）（1154）       Knowledge map    Save Using the data from the 2009 JSNET project, the present study explores the role of social eating on political trust among urban residents in eight Chinese cities. Based on a critical review of the existing literature, the authors of this article propose the hypothesis that social eating has corrosive effects on political trust, and identify social mechanisms through which guanxi  capital exerts its role. Using the instrumental variable ordinal Probit model, we have confirmed the negative effects of social eating, and analyzed how these effects are differentiated between and among social groups defined by institution, gender, education, and region. We show that there are significant negative effects of social eating on different dimensions of political trust, and the effects are different across social groups. Findings in this paper reveal that the process of accumulating, maintaining and mobilizing guanxi  capital via social eating among urban Chinese often comes with side effects at the society level.  Unlike traditional social capital studies, we focus on negative roles of socializing to unpack the association between trust and guanxi  capital. Although social eating is not the only way to generate and maintain guanxi  capital among the Chinese, it is the most important channel under the Chinese context. Although the corrosive role of social eating in itself is not a proof for the direct effect of social capital on politics, it can be seen as a byproduct of the social capital process. That is, a certain type of social behavior can both increase social capital and impair political trust simultaneously. Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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A Sociological Analysis on the Public Acceptance of GM Crops in China： Based on a Sampling Survey in 6 Cities HE Guangxi ZHAO Yandong ZHANG Wenxia XUE Pin Chinese Journal of Sociology    2015, 35 (1): 121-142.   Abstract （1065）   HTML    PDF（pc） （939KB）（889）       Knowledge map    Save  Based on the data of a largescale facetoface interview survey, this study presents an analysis of the acceptance of genemodified (GM) crops among Chinese residents. Departing from a conventional framework in this field which examines the consumers’“individual decisionmaking behavior”, this research intends to develop a “social action model” to explain the factors that influence individuals’decisionmaking about a new technology, by drawing upon risk society theory. In addition to “individual decisionmaking behavior”, this study identifies a number of affecting social factors, including “knowledge and cognitive ability”, “mass media”, and “institutional trust”. The results of the empirical analysis are summarized as follows: (1) The acceptance of new technologies, to some extent, is indeed a decisionmaking process by individuals based on the assessment of benefits (not examined in this study), risks and purchase power. However, this explanation is incomplete. In the face of a new technology, individuals can only make a “bounded rational choice” due to their limited knowledge, and the risks they consider are largely “constructive risks”. (2) The mass media plays an important role in the construction of “risks”. The risks perceived by the public, to some extent, are “shaped”. The traditional TV media have a stronger function of “shaping” the public opinion. In contrast, the Internet as new media plays a more complicated role: while increasing the amount of information available, the Internet also strengthens some people’s perception of risks due to the diversity of information it provides. (3) In understanding individuals’ decisionmaking about risks, institutional trust is an unignorable and indeed crucial factor. In the face of a new technology, individuals’ risk perception and decisionmaking behavior largely rely on institutional trust in various expert systems (including government), and once this trust declines or disappears, they will become very worried about and hostile toward new technologies. Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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Education and Perception of Distributive Justice: Based on Structural Explanation and Relative Deprived Theory LI Yinghui Chinese Journal of Sociology    2015, 35 (1): 143-160.   Abstract （1183）   HTML    PDF（pc） （810KB）（916）       Knowledge map    Save Education returns have increased significantly in the transitional china. However, it differs among people in different districts, industries, institutions, and sectors. Educational investment becomes even less rewarded due to recruitment expansion in higher education, which has unexpectedly resulted in diploma devaluation and unemployment problem for university graduates. Such complex realities arouse series of thoughtprovoking issues, such as “What is the attitude each education investor held towards his or her own education returns?” Moreover, “what is the relationship between education and one's perception of distributive justice?” At present, there are mainly two theories on perception of distributive justice, that is, the structural explanation and the relative deprived theory. The former proposes that people’s perception of distributive justice is determined by their objective socioeconomic status. The higher socioeconomic status he/she has, the more sense of distributive justice he/she perceives. However, the latter argues that one’s subjective comparison with others with the similar life experiences or social status affects his/her perceptions more significantly than his/her objective status. Hence, this study specifically aims to explain how education affects people’s perception of distributive justice within these two analytic logics. Our empirical results show that both logics make sense, indicating that  the effect of education on perception of distributive justice is much more complex than any single theory has claimed. As an indicator  of people’s superior status, educational background correlates positively with their perception of distributive justice. In other words, the one with higher education degree tends to justify his/her income distribution with favorable attitude. However, this trend changes when the social context or condition varies. As human capital investment, education may evoke one's expectation on his/her income level; that is, the more he/she has invested in education, the more he/she expects to obtain. So, the odds ratio of perception of distributive justice declines significantly with the gap between expected income and actual income increasing gradually, which indicates that the higher education one with, the faster the odds ratio of perception of distributive justice falls. This finding contributes to explain some theoretical paradox and reflects the fact that people may encounter psychological anomie if his or her education investment didn’t pay off. Since climbing upward through education is widely accepted in Chinese society, the finding of this study could also shed light on the situation of people’s judgment on the legitimacy of interest distribution in markettransition. Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0） Cited: Baidu(15)

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Religious Revival in Rural China and the Fate of “Religion” in China LIANG Yongjia Chinese Journal of Sociology    2015, 35 (1): 161-183.   Abstract （1459）   HTML    PDF（pc） （731KB）（1159）       Knowledge map    Save The paper explores three aspects of the question of religious revival in rural China, one of the most “unexpected” phenomena since the beginning of Reform and Openup policy. Firstly, by offering a critical reappraisal to the three models of explaining religious revival—“invention of traditions”, “statesociety relation”, and “religious market theory”, the author argues that religion should not be reduced into such categories as “politics” or “economy”, but should be taken as a set of sui generis facts. In particular, the author delineates some premises implied in the religious market theory, premises that are rather Christian and cannot fit in the Chinese context. Secondly, it is necessary to understand the particular process of shaping “religion” by the political and intellectual elites in modern Chinese history. Academic claims to legitimize some of the religious practices merely continue the complicity within these elites. Thirdly, religious revival in rural China is largely separated from this process of elite complicity, implying an unknown mechanism potential to yield in an indigenous social theory. Referring to the recent model of “doing religion”, the author emphasizes the dimension of morality central to social solidarity. Finally, the author suggests that rather than recourse to secularization theory or market theory, we may try “gift model” to study this mechanism. Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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The Social Construction of Skill Formation:  A Sociological Approach to the Modernization of the Apprenticeship in Germany WANG Xing Chinese Journal of Sociology    2015, 35 (1): 184-205.   Abstract （1162）   HTML    PDF（pc） （885KB）（741）       Knowledge map    Save In the process of the modernization of apprenticeship in Germany, the governance model of social market lays the good foundation for the apprenticeship. For apprenticeship, its effective work depends on the industrial community and decommodification process. The establishment of these institutions can be traced back to the period of the industrial revolution. The patriarchal regulation of guild and the industrial democracy played a role in the process of change, which could solve the credible commitment problem in the skill formation. These factors keep the apprenticeship working in many enterprise of German, and because of this kind of skill formation system, German manufacturing industry has achieved a great success in the global market. Therefore, the skill formation system has become the key part of the institution package, which is called comparative institutional advantage of Germany. The conflicts between the stakeholders have shaped the evolution trajectory of the apprenticeship. In this sense, the process of skill formation is socially constructed. More attention from academia, especially from the fields of economy sociology and social policy should be paid to the study of the apprenticeship system, as it will shed new lights on the research about economic development and social protection in China. Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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Prejudice: Its Generation and Reduction：Review ofThe Nature of Prejudice GAO Minghua Chinese Journal of Sociology    2015, 35 (1): 206-228.   Abstract （1519）   HTML    PDF（pc） （693KB）（876）       Knowledge map    Save Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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Richard A.Peterson’s Production of Culture Perspective LU Wenchao Chinese Journal of Sociology    2015, 35 (1): 229-242.   Abstract （1499）   HTML    PDF（pc） （651KB）（785）       Knowledge map    Save Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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Reflection upon Mores and Reconstruction Movement： Dilemma of the Yongjia Conservatives during the PostTaiping Restoration HOU Jundan Chinese Journal of Sociology    2015, 35 (2): 1-28.   Abstract （1111）   HTML    PDF（pc） （1780KB）（774）       Knowledge map    Save The law of power in“XiaQi”(chivalry) destroyed the hierarchical structure of the Imperial and produced a social equalization so that the traditional governance was involved in crises. It was on the reflection upon the crises that the reconstruction prompted by literati during T'ungchih and Kuanghsü periods was based. Confucian classics studies played an important role in shaping the elites’ ideology and individual wills. Besides， associations of literati and network of kinship contributed to the spread of these academic studies. Different judgments about the reality between people with different social statuses caused the conflicts in the practices of social transformation. Taking the higherranking group of literati in Wenzhou province for instance， they chose a conservative scheme of reconstructing patriarchal clan system and Confucian academic traditions in order to realize moralization in the imperial political structure. Unfortunately， this conservative reconstruction had an impact contrary to the initial contention of moralization. Scholartyrant and prominent clan monopolized local rural society. Estate occupied by the prominent clan indicated that the scholartyrant plundered finite land resources in the local mountainous society. Meanwhile， academic atmosphere was corrupted by those disciples following the higherranking masters so that aristocratic politics became the principles dominating the private school of the prominent clan. Furthermore， immorality among the close relatives in the prominent family also ruined the local customs. Superficially， it seemed that conservative moralization was obstructed and local affairs managed by the literati failed， but there was a new historical opportunity for the transformation of social structure in modern China. Social organizations that were based on the general individual mind structures would play a fundamental role in the modern democracy in China. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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The Formation of Modern Chinese Notion of “Society” CUI Yingling Chinese Journal of Sociology    2015, 35 (2): 29-57.   Abstract （1281）   HTML    PDF（pc） （828KB）（793）       Knowledge map    Save There had been three stages of concept reengineering and three times of changes after the concept of “society”entered China：At the first stage，foreigners in China used translational Chinese concept “hui”(“association”)，emphasizing the characteristics of assembly and collection. Yan Yongjing，as a representative of Chinese people，used “folk scene” and “people of State” to translate “society”， putting more emphasis on“people”，“folk”，“scene” and “for people”. In the second stage，the modern Chinese intellectuals preferred “qun”(“group”) as the corresponding Chinese translation of “society”，which represented a modern inclination to the idea of “group” rather than “individual”. It was composed of three aspects：Firstly，trying to balance individual rights and group rights，“qun” still put more emphasis on the rights of group；Secondly，it advocated to become a good group by using the strength of human nature，such as benevolence，love，and so on.And thirdly，it emphasized on achieving a rich and strong nation by various social change and means.The notion of “group” represented strong tension，responsibility and positive social participation of the intellectuals facing a national crisis. In the third stage，Chinese scholars mainly used “shehui” to translate “society”，which established the basis of common values of modern Chinese concept “society”. As the result of exploring ideal society and ideal government systems，the new concept of “society” replaced “group” eventually due to two reasons：one was the spread of new thoughts，especially the thoughts of “socialism” and “revolution”，and the other was the scholars pursuit of ideal society and state. From “association”，“group” to “society”，the shift profoundly embodied that the Chinese intellectuals finally have returned to their own traditions：actively involving in the responsibility of real social transformations and concerning about the ideal feelings of the Human ultimate future，namely the consciousness of “Tianxia”. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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The Ideal Pedigree of “Liberty” and “Dictatorship”：The Evolution of PoliticSociety Theory around the French Revolution PAN Dan Chinese Journal of Sociology    2015, 35 (2): 58-80.   Abstract （1135）   HTML    PDF（pc） （735KB）（614）       Knowledge map    Save Liberty and dictatorship are two respects of the French Revolution，the political culture of which was branded with radicalism. But there is also a school of moderate French political thinkers，including Montesquieu，Benjamin Constant，Mme de Stal and Tocqueville，who tried to seek a balance point among various radical tendencies，and whose common point was to emphasis the social dimension while discussing the political issues.As for Montesquieu，he divided the state nature into three different types according to the social pattern in different historical stages，and his discussion of the relationship between the nature and the principle underlined the interactive mode between the politic and the society. As an heir to Montesquieu’s discussion on the differences between the ancient social pattern and the modern one，Benjamin Constant clarified the difference between “the Liberty of Ancients” and “the Liberty of Moderns”，the connotation of which should be discussed in a Republic built in a great country，and the fundamental principle of which is Popular Sovereignty. Mme de Stal，soul mate of Constant，investigated on how to construct a republican system，with which people can realize the Liberty of Moderns，and which she named “the Dictatorship of Institutions”，the aim of which was to satisfy the circumstantial demands，and at the same time to influence the mores consciously，and to erect a solid social infrastructure for the consolidation of republican system. However，far from entering into the stability，the French Republic failed into depotism again and again due to the fragile social infrastructure.With regards to Tocqueville，who no longer confined himself to influencing the mores with the aid of state construction，approached the topic directly from the respective of mores，and tried to explore how to improve the democratic society，and how French Republic could get rid of the despotism. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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“Silent Revolution” is Exaggerated Rhetoric：Some Idea Exchange with Liang Chen，Li Zhongqing，et al. YING Xing，LIU Yunshan Chinese Journal of Sociology    2015, 35 (2): 81-93.   Abstract （1847）   HTML    PDF（pc） （810KB）（964）       Knowledge map    Save This paper questions the point of Liang Chen and Li Zhongqing，who state that China has accomplished a “silent revolution” in the field of higher education in 50 years after the founding of the PRC.The proportion of workers and peasants’children who attend university shows two different trends before and after the reform，so it should not be simplified to “a revolution in 50 years”.Before the reform，the equality of higher education was surrounded by thick atmosphere of class struggle，so it is “equality within the class”.The practice of using political means to restrict and deprive the education right of some citizens and force some other citizens attend the university，should not be defined as progressive educational revolution.After the reform，though the promoted key middle school system allows a few rural students to enter universities，it is not a good solution to urbanrural educational inequality，but will further solidify the inequality.Among the ways which provide rural students with accesses to universities，the key middle schools and county schools with centralized resources have instrumental rationality to some extent.However，this instrumental rationality lacks moral support of value rationality，and therefore leads to unsustainability and high cost of the system.This paper also questions the concept and data used by Liang Chen and Li Zhongqing.Vague concepts such as “cadres” and “children of workers and peasants” are used in their study，thus cause problems in the quality of their data. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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Construction and Analysis of Big Historical MicroLevel Data：A Brief Discussion with Examples of Data Gathered from University Student Registration Cards LIANG Chen，DONG Hao Chinese Journal of Sociology    2015, 35 (2): 94-108.   Abstract （1354）   HTML    PDF（pc） （628KB）（651）       Knowledge map    Save Along with boosting public and professional interests in “big data”，construction and analysis of largescale microlevel data from voluminous historical sources become available and promising.Big historical microlevel data facilitate interdisciplinary and longitudinal social scientific research，of which implications are far beyond historical but related to a better understanding of change and continuity in human behavior and society.While China has one of the world’s best and largest collections of historical documents surviving to date，practice in construction and analysis of historical microlevel data remain limited.We therefore share our experience from an ongoing research project that uses more than 150 000 individual student registration cards from two Chinese elite universities to study the evolution of social inequality in higher education between 1950 and 2000.We hope to stimulate broader academic interest，discussion，exploration，and collaboration in research using big historical microlevel data for the betterment of social sciences and humanities. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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Household Division of Housework for DoubleIncome Family: Economic Dependence, Gender Ideologies, or Emotional Express? LIU Aiyu，TONG Xin，FU Wei Chinese Journal of Sociology    2015, 35 (2): 109-136.   Abstract （1816）   HTML    PDF（pc） （1661KB）（1413）       Knowledge map    Save  Based on the analysis of sampling data of Third National Women’s Status Survey in 2010，this paper finds that household division of housework in urban China displays a characteristic of “women do much more than men”.Household division of housework is influenced by the economic dependent relation between the couple，time spent on paid work and gender role attitude，and with quite different mechanisms for male and female.For male，economic independence and success is the best indicator for time spent on housework，with those more dependent economically shouldering much more household work. The influence of gender role attitude on division of housework is significant statistically and independently regardless of other factors.No gender display exists for male.Economic dependency is not the best predictor for female’s housework involvement，and gender role attitude does not work independently as well. The interaction of economic dependency and genderrole attitude on household division displays very complex results for female, and the gender display appeared under such context has quite different patterns and effects.The effects of gender display decrease if women’s genderrole attitude is increasingly toward modern.The gendered division of housework is shaped by the economic status of labor market and social cultural expectation and their interactions as well. Genderrole attitude plays as an intermediate variable between economic dependency and household division.So we give an explanation why household division of housework in China remains women doing more housework than men despite the fact that Chinese female greatly improve their economic situation and pay as much time as male on productive work. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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New Generation’s Trusts on Christianity and the Mediation Effect： Based on the Data in Yangtze River Delta LI Feng Chinese Journal of Sociology    2015, 35 (2): 137-165.   Abstract （1261）   HTML    PDF（pc） （1204KB）（770）       Knowledge map    Save The massive entering of Christianity into China has been related to the invasion of Western countries into modern China and the involvement of China into the process of globalization.In order to save the nation，some social elites introduced scientism and cultural nationalism into China.As a result，Christianity was portrayed as superstition and yangjiao (foreign religion).The thoughts evolved to materialistic scientism and antiimperialism/antirevisionist nationalism.At the same time，they were ideologized and shared by all the people during the state regime construction.After reform and opening，China had embedded into the process of globalization，and the comprehensive national power is strengthening.At the same time，Christianity is growing rapidly.How do people think of it?Based on the classic cohort analysis and a cultural perspective in institutional trust study，this paper intends to answer：Is there any difference in terms of trust on Christianity between the new and the elder generations?Are the scientism and cultural nationalism still the mediator effect between the cohorts and their trust on Christianity? What is the trend of Chinese’s attitudes to Christianity? Using the data from the Survey about Religious Faith in Yangtze River Delta (2011)，this research finds：1) The new generation has more trust in Christianity than the elder one. 2) The scientism and cultural nationalism have the partial mediation effect between the cohorts and the trust in Christianity，but the effect is very weak. To some extent，from these findings we can infer that the spiritual transformation of new generation is developing toward a good way. Meanwhile，due to the limitation of the cross sectional data，the findings of the paper cannot be generalized as we don’t consider the factor of the individual life course. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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Marketization，Political Values，and Chinese Residents’Trust in Government CHI Shangxin Chinese Journal of Sociology    2015, 35 (2): 166-191.   Abstract （1242）   HTML    PDF（pc） （2112KB）（853）       Knowledge map    Save The marketization causes not only economic development，but also the change of residents’political attitude.This paper uses the data from CGSS2010，based on the multilevel models，to examine the change of Chinese residents’political values and its influence on their trust in government under the background of marketization.It finds first，the authoritarian political values are weakening obviously，but the democratic political values are not increasing greatly. Second，residents’ trust in government shows regional differences and there is a linear decreasing relationship between the levels of marketization and the trust in government.Third，it shows the authoritarian political values can prompt residents’ trust in government，but it will be weakened as the marketization process going on and the influences of democratic political values are not evident.This paper points out that the current residents’ political values may be experiencing a transition，namely from “authoritarism” to “democratism”.This “transitional” political value is different from the liberal and democratic consciousness of western developed countries，as it not only highly recognizes the traditional authoritarian，but also implies the modern democratic spirits.In other words，the modern factors produced by marketization reform have merged gradually into the core political value in Chinese tradition and have formed a bicultural political tendency constituted by tradition and modernity.It is the actual political value that exists in current China.Furthermore，rational thoughts have taken up a lead under the marketization reform.So the most direct way to enhance people’s  trust in government maybe is to transfer the governmental functions and improve their work performance. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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The Circular State：A Case Study of the Symbolic Labor Governance System in Transitional China CHENG Xiuying Chinese Journal of Sociology    2015, 35 (2): 192-217.   Abstract （1244）   HTML    PDF（pc） （915KB）（601）       Knowledge map    Save The relationship between contentious politics and the state building is a classic topic in the study of social movements.Through detailed analysis of a tenyear struggle of a group of state workers to defend their pensions by active engagement with state agents，this paper attempts to explore the circular feature of the state and how this circular state functions to absorb the labor contentions.From August 1998 to October 2008，a group of retired state workers in H Steel Factory carried out radical street protests，persistent legal litigations and peaceful collective petitions to fight against their factory’s retention and reduction of their pensions.The trajectory of the workers’ struggles delineates a gradually formed state bureaucratic field of labor governance.This state is composed of three intersecting circles—a circle between different petition offices，a circle between petition offices and courts，and a circle between the local and the center. This system full of tensions within and between different circles produces the negotiation and bargaining relation between different levels and sectors in the state，which in turn leads to the circulation mechanism of social conflicts rather than a resolution structure. The institutional configuration of this circular state includes the double bind between decentralization and marketization and the mutual reference between the petition system and the legal system.The circulation of the workers’ case in this circular bureaucratic field，on one side elongates the struggles of the workers and prevents the radicalization of their resistance; on the other side，promotes the circulation and inculcation of the statist capitals among the workers. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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The Institutional Analysis and Practical Logic of “Mixed Land Ownership”: Based on a Case Study of Z Village YANG Lei，LIU Jianping Chinese Journal of Sociology    2015, 35 (2): 218-240.   Abstract （964）   HTML    PDF（pc） （796KB）（658）       Knowledge map    Save This paper explains the inner structure, complex relationships and enforcement mechanism of Chinese rural land property by using an analytical concept of “mixed land ownership”. With an institutionalism approach, this paper points out the system of mixed land ownership has four dimensions of property rights, that is, public governance, social relations and customs and ideas, all of which form an institutional arrangement with a strong binding. A typical case study of Z Village land compensation distribution shows that, rules of above four dimensions all have effects on the enforcement of mixed land ownership, and jointly determine the processes and effects of the enforcement of rural land ownership. Firstly, the implementation of rural land ownership shows the inner logic of uncertain rules, institutional rules of different dimensions competing with each other. This situation provides institutional spaces for stakeholders'strategic behavior, and they compete to obtain revenues of land ownership transactions, which result in intensified land conflicts. Secondly, due to mutual combination of institutional rules, the existing land ownership enforcement falls into the plight of multiple equilibriums, which lead to an unbalance of interests between state, collectives and farmers. If farmers cannot reach an agreement on distributing land revenues, the inner costs of land property rights transaction increases. Thirdly, in the process of determining the distribution rules on land revenues, the tension between contract and management rights and collective member rights is a fundamental contradiction and an important reason that would induce land revenues distribution conflicts among farmers. Finally, as the land contract and management system is increasingly stabilized, and farmers' ideas on land property concept are growing, household contract and management rights with the contractual nature have been recognized by more and more farmers. Therefore, during the economic and social transformation, on the one hand, the realities of governance path dependence and local regulations should be fully respected, and socialized governance mechanisms of land property rights system should be improved. On the other hand, to build a modern rural land property system that can balance interests of multi-stakeholders, and to give farmers more land rights and reduce transaction costs of agricultural land resource allocation should be encouraged. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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A Theory of Social Performance: Modeling Cultural Pragmatics between Ritual and Strategy Jeffrey Charles Alexander Chinese Journal of Sociology    2015, 35 (3): 1-36.   Abstract （1784）   HTML    PDF（pc） （1209KB）（2894）       Knowledge map    Save From its very beginnings, the social study of culture has been polarized between structuralist theories that treat meaning as a text and investigate the patterning that provides relative autonomy and pragmatist theories that treat meaning as emerging from the contingencies of individual and collective action—socalled practices—and that analyze cultural patterns as reflections of power and material interest. In this article, I present a theory of cultural pragmatics that transcends this division, bringing meaning structures, contingency, power, and materiality together in a new way. My argument is that the materiality of practices should be replaced by the more multidimensional concept of performances. Drawing on the new field of performance studies, cultural pragmatics demonstrates how social performances, whether individual or collective, can be analogized systematically to theatrical ones. After defining the elements of social performance, I suggest that these elements have become “defused” as societies have become more complex. Performances are successful only insofar as they can “refuse” these increasingly disentangled elements. In a fused performance, audiences identify with actors, and cultural scripts achieve verisimilitude through effective miseenscène. Performances fail when this relinking process is incomplete: the elements of performance remain apart, and social action seems inauthentic and artificial, failing to persuade. Refusion, by contrast, allows actors to communicate the meanings of their actions successfully and thus to pursue their interests effectively. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0） Cited: Baidu(1)

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Refashioning Sociological Imagination：Linguality/Visuality Dualism and the Iconic Turn in Cultural Sociology Dominik Bartmanski Chinese Journal of Sociology    2015, 35 (3): 37-66.   Abstract （1158）   HTML    PDF（pc） （851KB）（697）       Knowledge map    Save  One of the key challenges of meaningcentered cultural sociology is to face the findings of contemporary anthropology, archaeology, art history and material culture studies. Specifically, the increasingly pressing task is to recognize and amend the explanatory limitations of the linguistic/textual framework laid bare by those disciplines. The traditional structuralist focus on discursive codes and the assumption of arbitrariness of cultural sign is of limited service in understanding the power of complex representational economies and especially in the task of explaining its variability. The language and communicationcentered framework typically ignores the fact that most signifiers credited with causal social power are inescapably embedded in openended but not unbounded structures of affect and materiality. There is ample evidence delivered by the recent studies within the aforementioned fields that many such signifiers are“not just the garb of meaning,”to use the insightful phrase of the American anthropologist Webb Keane. Rather, the significatory patterns and their material and sensuous entanglements coconstitute meanings that inform social action. Therefore more integrative and multidimensional models of culture in action are needed. Some specific new explanatory models have been explicitly formulated by a series of intertwined conceptual “turns” in human sciences: material, performative, spatial and iconic, among others. By showing that meanings (depth) are always embedded in and enacted by the concrete assemblages of materiality and corporeality (surface), they enable sociologists to transcend the linguistic/textual bias of classical structuralist hermeneutics. This paper discusses the importance of iconicity for developing such an integrative perspective without abandoning some constitutive insights of the linguistic turn. I focus on the key transformative works of contemporary scholars like Daniel Miller, Webb Keane, Ian Hodder, Christopher Pinney, Ian Woodward, Jeffrey Alexander as well as on my own research to demonstrate the so conceived complexity of culture as causal social force. In particular, I aim at elaborating a key principle of material culture studies that different orders of semiosis are differently subject to determination and/or autonomous logic, and thus responsive to distinct modes of “social construction” and historical transformation. We need to keep paying attention to the Austinian question of how to do things with words but we cannot keep doing it as if things social were at the same time not done with images, objects, places, and bodies and all that their character and use imply. Fleshing out this expanded sociological imagination helps us to activate the full potential of understanding and explanation the concept of culture possesses, and thus, to decisively turn culture on. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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The Paradoxes of Solidarity: Cultural Trauma and Collective Identity in Mao’s China GAO Rui Chinese Journal of Sociology    2015, 35 (3): 67-94.   Abstract （1452）   HTML    PDF（pc） （826KB）（850）       Knowledge map    Save The millions of Chinese people who had the misfortune of living through the War of Resistance Against Japan (hereafter “the War”) experienced nearly unbearable trauma and pain. Such vivid and massively shared suffering and injustice, however, remained ultimately private and individual. For many years after the building of the People’s Republic of China, this suffering seldom found its way into the public sphere of expression. A chief goal of this paper is to delve into this curious phenomenon—namely, the “absence” of a collective trauma of the War despite the human suffering—and seek to explain it from a cultural sociological point of view. To this end, I would draw on the theory of cultural trauma and explore the relationship between various cultural structures in the process of trauma formation. The absence of the trauma of the War should not be understood merely as a consequence of political necessity, but should be contextualized and comprehended within the web of meanings woven by powerful cultural structures that predominated in the public sphere at the time. My tasks in this chapter are twofold. First, I trace in Mao’s era the successful construction of a class trauma that sought to form a new collectivity. Secondly, I examine how the experience of the War fits, or, rather, “unfits” with this grand narrative of “class trauma”. Tracing representation of the War in the public sphere around the time, I argue that the emergence of the War as a collective trauma was effectively “inhibited” by the trauma of class struggle. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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The Hierarchy of Profit Division and Grassroots Governance Involution: The Logic of Rural Governance under the Background of the Resource Input CHEN Feng Chinese Journal of Sociology    2015, 35 (3): 95-120.   Abstract （1368）   HTML    PDF（pc） （1447KB）（1020）       Knowledge map    Save Since the launch of the reform of taxes and fees in 2002, the central government has issued a series of favorable policies for farmers and took a lot of resources to the countryside. Industry started to support agriculture. It brings new opportunity for rural development and rural governance, which gains support of the broad masses of farmers. In a way, it also helps consolidate the ruling foundation of Chinese Communist Party, and enhance the legitimacy of the state power. However, the political efficiency of the reform of the agricultural taxes and fees has quickly reduced, and the resource input to the countryside did not achieve the desired effect. On the one hand, grassroots organizations cannot undertake topdown inputted resources effectively，and connect scattered farmers. On the other hand, the noncooperation between officials and the farmers often ended up with predicament of governance of the “nail house” in the construction of the project. Under this background, grassroots organizations mainly present two basic forms of governance. Some village cadres were afraid of “accident” and did things passively so much so that some even avoided the input of resources for the village construction. Other villages mainly were ruled by the rich and the grey black forces. They actively fight for resources and projects, and take a variety of means to solve the “nail households”, and gain some benefits from the project or political capital for the development of their individual economy. Both governance forms have eroded the national resources and local public resources, and the authority and legitimacy of grassroots organizations further decline. On the resources input chain, a profit division hierarchy has been formed among people involved in power rentseeking, local social forces of the rich and the grey black forces, opportunistic and interestoriented farmers and so on. Ordinary people should have been the biggest beneficiaries of the input resources, but the hierarchal profit division impairs the interests of the broad masses of farmers. But they are reluctant to protest as the resources are mainly input from the above, not extracted from them. Grassroots governance is suffering from involution. Fundamentally, it is resulted from the tension between the oppressive system and effective governance, and it happens during the transformation of the rural societies from under integrity governance to under technology governance. However, the counterbalance relations of interests and responsibility among the state, grassroots organizations and farmers produce fracture, and it is difficult for the input resources to produce maximum effectiveness and improve the condition of the rural governance. On the contrary, the input resources help nourish a profitsharing group and the hierarchal profit division of the grassroots society has put rural governance into a new dilemma. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0） Cited: Baidu(22)

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Empirical Explanation of Gender Performance Theory and Reflection upon Feminism Methodology: Basing on Interviews of Upscale Elites GAO Xiaonan Chinese Journal of Sociology    2015, 35 (3): 121-140.   Abstract （1517）   HTML    PDF（pc） （881KB）（650）       Knowledge map    Save Being a representative of postmodern gender theorist, Judith Butler has greatly challenged the traditional gender theories through her famous gender performance theory since two decades ago. This theory, however, has been seldom applied empirically. This current study represents an intention to achieve this by interviewing upscale elites who enjoy special social advantage and show unique sincerity and flexibility when their narration is related to gender. This caters well to the theoretical core of gender performance theory. A contrast between gender performance theory and feminism methodology rises during the interview and the analysis. This provides an opportunity to reflect upon the latter’s potential “victim assumption” and “overattribution to gender” standpoints, their subject selection criteria, research angles and research intention which are encountering a crisis of legitimacy. Finally, an intention to bridge the two may offer some actual significance in gender research. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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DifferentialExposure，DifferentialOccupation，and Differential Experience：An Empirical Analysis on Differences in Chinese UrbanRural Residents’ Environmental Concern FAN Yechao，HONG Dayong Chinese Journal of Sociology    2015, 35 (3): 141-167.   Abstract （1189）   HTML    PDF（pc） （1153KB）（1276）       Knowledge map    Save  Using Data from 2010 China General Social Survey, this paper presents a comparative analysis on the urbanrural differences in environmental concern in mainland China. Firstly, it could be concluded from the literature review that the Residence Hypothesisthat urban residents are more environmentally concerned than the ruralhad once been extensively supported in the western countries, and there are mainly three theoretical explanations for this hypothesis: differentialexposure theory, differentialoccupation theory, and differentialexperience theory. Secondly, the measurement model for Chinese residents’ environmental concern consists of five facetsNew Ecological Paradigm (NEP), the degree of attention paid to environmental issues, the assessment of environmental hazards, the willingness to pay for environmental protection, and daily environmental behaviors and 21 indicators in total; the results of secondorder confirmatory factor analysis indicate that both urban and rural residents share a coherent belief system in perceiving environmental issues. Thirdly,  the results of ANOVA analysis indicate that there are indeed significant differences in the level of urbanrural residents’ environmental concern, with urban residents show more environmental concern in many aspects. Fourthly，the results of Structural Equation Modeling indicate that only differentialexposure theory can explain a part of urbanrural differences while the other two are not supported by data; besides, environmental knowledge and media use display significant mediating effects on the formation of the gap between the urban and the rural residents.Last but not the least, it is inappropriate or limited to apply the theories rooted in western societies to explain the urbanrural differences in mainland China; furthermore, judging from both the existing studies and the variation trend in the long term, the urbanrural differences in environmental concern are definitely being convergent and will finally go to the isomorphism. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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The Effects of Social Networks on Life Satisfaction：A TwoWave Longitudinal Study of Beijing，Shanghai, and Guangdong MA Dan Chinese Journal of Sociology    2015, 35 (3): 168-192.   Abstract （1230）   HTML    PDF（pc） （728KB）（1038）       Knowledge map    Save Social network is of special significance in Chinese society and the importance of social network in the functioning of individuals has long been noted. This study empirically examines the relationships between various aspects of social network and individual life satisfaction， using data from Chinese family panel studies in Beijing， Shanghai and Guangdong province in 2008 and 2009. The study applies hierarchical linear model and analysis of covariance models. The size and composition of Chinese New Year Greeting network and the frequency of participation in social networks are examined in this paper. An inverted Ushaped relationship is found between network size and life satisfaction in the random effect regression model, indicating that social network size first increases and then decreases life satisfaction. The results also show that proportion of friends of network, frequency of neighborhood interaction, and frequency of informal social network participation are positively associated with life satisfaction. Analysis of covariance model is used to test the causal relationships with panel data. The result shows that the increases in Chinese New Year Greeting network size, proportion of friends in the network, and frequency of informal social network participation improve individual life satisfaction. But no evidence proves that an increase in neighborhood interaction can improve the level of life satisfaction. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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Expanding Chinese Higher Education： Quality and Social Stratification YE Xiaoyang，DING Yanqing Chinese Journal of Sociology    2015, 35 (3): 193-220.   Abstract （1831）   HTML    PDF（pc） （908KB）（1455）       Knowledge map    Save In this paper, we analyze student stratification in higher education using a random survey of senior students from 46 universities in Beijing in 2011. We examine the impact of higher education expansion since 1999 on college access and social mobility in the labor market. We find the expansion has enhanced the social strata replication rather than reproduction. We first estimate the impact on college access using Binary Logit Model and Multinomial Logit Model. Chinese higher education is rather exclusive than inclusive during the expansion which means students from higher social class families have larger possibilities to access to elite universities，other things being equal. The effect of family social stratification background on students’ educational stratification is larger during secondary school period.We don’t find evidence that family background influences choice of major. We then examine how college quality can affect students’ labor market choice and performance using Multinomial Logit Model, Ordinal Logit Model and Tobit Model. Controlling family background, higher education quality is positively correlated with the higher probability that students choose a marketoriented job and with higher starting salaries. However, if the expansion diminishes higher education quality as suggested by many qualitative studies, it weakens the role of higher education as a way of upward social mobility. We learn from this study that it is not an optimal policy for the government to develop China higher education solely by expanding its scale without increasing its quality. More attention should be paid to guarantee the quality during any education policy changes, and to ensure educational equality in K12 education as well. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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Connection Link or Attachment Tool: Literature Review on the Research of China’s Business Associations During the Transition Period ZHANG Hua Chinese Journal of Sociology    2015, 35 (3): 221-240.   Abstract （967）   HTML    PDF（pc） （691KB）（680）       Knowledge map    Save Civil Society theory and Corporatism theory are two mainstream perspectives of studying contemporary Chinese industry associations. These theories represent two different approaches of the industry associations after China’s economic reform. Based on the perspective of statesocial relations, civil society theory emphasizes the influence of market development, while the corporatism is concerned with the special relationship between association, state and market. In addition to the above two perspectives, Clientelism theory suggests that we should focus on the operation of the real power, rather than statesocial relations. This viewpoint argues that due to the imperfect market and government intervention, associations are still embedded within the governmental institutions. Clientelism theory provides individual approach and important explanatory variables in the study of business association in contemporary China. It also provides different point of view to reveal the relationship between different elements of the development of associationsmarket development, state intervention and enterprises’ collective actions. The study of industry association is a central issue of Chinese political economy. The government capacity and influence of economy shape the activities of the business enterprises, which in turn shape the formation and development process of society, therefore calls attention to the increasing need for the study of industry associations. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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A Theory of Social Performance:Modeling Cultural Pragmatics between Ritual and Strategy Jeffrey Charles Alexander Chinese Journal of Sociology    2015, 35 (4): 1-.   Abstract （1410）   HTML    PDF（pc） （1788KB）（3452）       Knowledge map    Save Abstract： From its very beginnings, the social study of culture has been polarized between structuralist theories that treat meaning as a text and investigate the patterning that provides relative autonomy and pragmatist theories that treat meaning as emerging from the contingencies of individual and collective action—socalled practices—and that analyze cultural patterns as reflections of power and material interest. In this article, I present a theory of cultural pragmatics that transcends this division, bringing meaning structures, contingency, power, and materiality together in a new way. My argument is that the materiality of practices should be replaced by the more multidimensional concept of performances. Drawing on the new field of performance studies, cultural pragmatics demonstrates how social performances, whether individual or collective, can be analogized systematically to theatrical ones. After defining the elements of social performance, I suggest that these elements have become “defused” as societies have become more complex. Performances are successful only insofar as they can “refuse” these increasingly disentangled elements. In a fused performance, audiences identify with actors, and cultural scripts achieve verisimilitude through effective miseenscène. Performances fail when this relinking process is incomplete: the elements of performance remain apart, and social action seems inauthentic and artificial, failing to persuade. Refusion, by contrast, allows actors to communicate the meanings of their actions successfully and thus to pursue their interests effectively. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0） Cited: Baidu(1)

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A Structural Hermeneutics of Partisan Realism Matthew Norton Chinese Journal of Sociology    2015, 35 (4): 33-.   Abstract （848）   HTML    PDF（pc） （1089KB）（361）       Knowledge map    Save  Propaganda，ideology，and partisanship，if they identify themselves as such， suffer from the selfrefuting implications of explicit bias inpursuit of a political agenda. It is no surprise，therefore，that one of the distinguishing features of these genres of communication is that they claim to represent reality accurately and fairly，denying the polluting implications of political bias. I call this genre “partisan realism”，politically motivated media presentations that symbolically present themselves as operating in the genre of realism. The question posed by this paper is how partisan media coverage creates the appearance of neutral and unbiased realism while pursuing its political agenda. This paper analyzes The O’Reilly Factor，a popular American television news program， as an example of partisan realism.Using the structural hermeneutic approach developed in cultural sociology，the paper argues that The O’Reilly Factor produces a partisan realist schema for interpreting the news through the constructed persona of the host，a complex underlying meaning structure formulated around binary oppositions，and a sophisticated suite of rhetorical techniques. The show presents itself as a simple window onto reality，but it takes arefined， partisan cultural system to ensure that what viewers see through that apparently neutral window supports the political interests of the show’s creators. To present the news in a way that suggests partisan conclusions that still seem realistic rather than biased，individual episodes and segments of the show frame issues in terms of a meaning structure that leads strongly to partisan conclusions， but affords an appearance of the reasonable consideration of diverse views.The paper suggests that this kind of deep analysis of meaning structures is important for making sense of partisan realism as a style of political communication. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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#br# The Gendered Metaphysics of Puritan Culture: Towards an Interpretive Explanation of the Salem Witch Trials Isaac Reed Chinese Journal of Sociology    2015, 35 (4): 73-.   Abstract （1099）   HTML    PDF（pc） （906KB）（465）       Knowledge map    Save  This paper contributes to an explanation of the largest witch hunt in North American history via reference to the cultural structuring of action. To understand and explain how and why the Salem Witch Trials happened requires inquiry into the complex and deeply felt meanings active in Puritan life at the time. Such an investigation reveals a crisis in Puritan culture. The Trials which resulted in the hanging of 19 English men and women were led by accusers, ministers and judges embedded within, operating with, and ultimately defending via legally sanctioned violence a meaningful worldview. That worldview is reconstructed, in this paper, in terms of its points of tension and controversy: the place of women in society, the relationship of the Colony to God, and metaphysical beliefs about of how the world worked (e.g. witchcraft and spellcasting). This investigation of the Salem Witch Trials raises questions about culture, interpretation, and sociological explanation. In answer to these questions, the paper suggests that explanations in cultural sociology: (1) include, but also move beyond, the stated intentions, conscious and spoken meanings, and strategic maneuvers of actors; (2) consider the intersection of symbolic structures with political economy, but do not reduce the former to the latter; and (3) that the direction that a crisis or event takes is intertwined with the interpretation of that crisis by those participating in it. This suggests, then, that cultural sociology transcends the longstanding distinction between understanding and explanation, offering instead a causal hermeneutics of social life. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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The Ideas and Practices of “Yanching School” about Sociology of Knowledge: A Comparative Study on Wu Wenzao, Fei Xiaotong, and Li An-che#br# YANG Qingmei Chinese Journal of Sociology    2015, 35 (4): 103-.   Abstract （1437）   HTML    PDF（pc） （901KB）（783）       Knowledge map    Save Sociology of knowledge was introduced to China by some professors and students of sociology at Yanching University in the 1930s. Its introduction was seen as a tool for constructing a social scientific framework of knowledge in Chinese studies, which would cover community studies of Han Chinese, ethnic studies and overseas studies. The three parts shared a character in common: the approach of comparative studies of sociology of knowledge. Under this approach, the sociologists of “Yanching School” focused on the ethos of community or nation and how ethos were diversely expressed through different kinds of relationships between ideas and institutions. It is through the comparative study of social ethos that the pluralistic structure of Chinese civilization could be examined. To reveal this method specifically, this paper offers a comparative analysis of three key figures’ works from “Yanching School”: Wu Wenzao, Fei Xiaotong and Li Anche. These three sociologists developed their own unique path of empirical studies of sociology of knowledge. Wu was a follower of Karl Mannheim and believed that society constrains knowledge and intelligentsia, leading to a type of statism that trusts state to function as a reformer above society through action. Fei seemed to waver between Mannheim and Max Weber until the 1950s. In his late years, Fei began paying attention to New Confucianism and suggested that social science should borrow from hermeneutics and study the question of “Mind”. At this time, Fei actually went back to Zhang Dongsun for the same inquiries. Li was originally the most faithful follower of Mannheim of the three, but he soon turned to Weber under the influence of Zhang Dongsun. He was interested in how the entire system of knowledge was being interpreted and internalized at different levels of society, whether they were elite intelligentsia, the dominant class or common people. All three sociologists cared for the same question: did Chinese civilization achieve its internal order through combining and organizing various types of knowledge system? With the enormous complicity of modern society, it would be a good idea to incorporate sociology of knowledge and community studies. It will help deepen our understanding of state and society. Sociologists of Yanching School have given us a good start already. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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“Folk Society” and Beyond: A Comparative Study of Fei Xiaotong and Robert Redfield’s Works on Civilization Studies#br# ZHANG Jianghua Chinese Journal of Sociology    2015, 35 (4): 134-.   Abstract （1873）   HTML    PDF（pc） （770KB）（9076）       Knowledge map    Save In between the late 1920s and the early 1950s, anthropology in the West expanded its research from the traditional focus on primitive tribes to civilized societies. Fei Xiaotong and Robert Redfield were two important anthropologists who spearheaded this transition. This paper offers a historical account of their contribution as well as an academic comparative review of their works. The convergence and divergence of Fei and Redfield’s academic life can be summarized in four points: (1) their unique academic background coincidentally led to both men’s engagement in studies of “folk society” during the 1930s, when anthropology and sociology were experiencing a trend of blending with each other; (2) after the 1940s, Fei and Redfield became acquainted and remained very close colleagues throughout their life time. Their friendship and collaboration were extremely beneficial to the academic career of both men; (3) in terms of methodology, Fei was more keen in pattern analysis and comparative studies, by which he believed an understanding of the whole society could be reached. Redfield was more interested in concepts and conceptual frameworks. His FolkUrban Continuum, used to explain the problems of community diversity and cultural changes, was a typical example; (4) even though they favored different methodology, Fei and Redfield both suggested a unified society on a rural and urban integrated structure. Fei and Redfield represented a parallel development of studies of civilizations in China and in the West, each with their own uniqueness and differences. Fei, like other Chinese social scientists of the time, lived through a painful period of national crisis and humiliation during his intellectual awakening. This historical burden colored the way he perceived the world and put certain strains on his knowledge. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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Longstanding Cultural Impact on Population Migration in Chinese History#br# LI Nan Chinese Journal of Sociology    2015, 35 (4): 159-.   Abstract （1836）   HTML    PDF（pc） （592KB）（7470）       Knowledge map    Save Although social scientists and practitioners have long agreed that culture is an important determinant in the migration of populations, so far there has been no study, which provides empirical evidence of a causal relationship between culture and migration. Two things may have contributed to the lacking of empirical research on the subject. Culture is both a tangle and intangible concept, for which testable measures are difficult to design. Also, cultural change are incremental and subtle, and occur over a huge time. This makes it almost impossible to collect consistent historical data. In an attempt to overcome these shortcomings, this paper examines the impact of long term cultural change on interregional population migration by using generic distance from surnames as a measurable variable for cultural variation. The author compiled a database of the historical migration data in the last 1000 years. The finding indicates that the higher the cultural variation, the lower the migration activities. In other words, homogeneity of culture encourages migration while differences of cultures discourage migration. This finding stands the test of controlling variables such as socioeconomic and geographic elements. This study has established solid empirical evidence on the casual relation between culture and migration. Furthermore it contributes to the understanding of the characteristics and determinants of Chinese internal migration since the tenth century. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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Keep Good Men Company: A Study on Transnational Social Capital Transfer of Expatriates Based on Social Network Analysis Model#br# YANG Zhangbo, GAO Shanxing, LIU Xiaohua Chinese Journal of Sociology    2015, 35 (4): 177-.   Abstract （1256）   HTML    PDF（pc） （2446KB）（651）       Knowledge map    Save Returning expatriates not only brought back to their native countries intellectual capital but also social capital. The transfer of academic social capital by expatriates give domestic scholars better access to foreign information, foster participation in the global academic community, and build confidence and academic reputation. But current research concerning the phenomenon of social capital transfer of expatriates is very limited. This study proposes a crossborder social capital transfer model of expatraites by applying the theory of homophily, peer effects and group homogenization. An analysis of the data on transnational academic capital transfers, collected from the Network of Thousands of Academic Collaborators, a recruitment network of returning expatraites, shows that returnees are able to accumulate significantly more academic social capital in their postreturn career. Foreign academic social capital is transferred to the domestic academic community through a threeway triadic closure mechanism. The postreturn accumulated capital appears to be transferred with higher efficiency. With such capital transfers, returnees help break stagnation and trigger a cascade of innovation. We propose a model as well as an analytic formula of transnational social capital transfer. We find that social capital transfer is a process, by which weak relations become strong and indirect contacts becomes direct contacts. Our research implies that crossborder social capital transfer happens when a scholar who possesses the homogenizing characters mediates between two heterogeneous groups and is able to bridge the differences. However once the transfer is completed, the mediator will lose his/her role, which leads to a decrease of clusters and an increase of cluster coefficient. Our study also examines the social impact of returning expatraites by means of quantitative methods. The paper recommends that in planning and modifying Chinese talent recruitment programs, the government should take into consideration the efficiency of social capital transfer. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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Sons or Daughters? Who Are Caring for Aging Parents: A Gender Comparative Study of Chinese Family#br# XU Qi Chinese Journal of Sociology    2015, 35 (4): 199-.   Abstract （3292）   HTML    PDF（pc） （817KB）（8816）       Knowledge map    Save The traditional Chinese family has long been characterized as patriarchal, patrilineal, and patrilocal, placing women at a severe social disadvantage in relation to men. Under such a system, sons were permanent members of the natal family and were expected to live with parents after marriage and contribute to their economic wellbeing. In contrast, daughters were temporary members of the natal family. Upon marriage, a woman was expected to serve her husband's extended family and bore no filial obligation to her own parents. Nevertheless, in recent years some studies have found that the tradition of sons as the sole provider for aging parents has undergone significant changes in contemporary China. To further investigate this issue, our study examines two aspects of intergenerational support: financial support and aging care, and highlights the gender difference between sons and daughters in this regard. Taking into consideration of the commonly practiced patrilocal living arrangement in China, we separate the gender difference between sons and daughters in care behaviors from the gender difference caused by living arrangement. The gender comparison data in this study is drawn from within the same family. China Family Panel Study (2010) provides the database for our analysis. Our finding indicates that sons still play a significantly greater role than daughters in providing support for their aging parents, however, this is only largely due to the fact that sons are most likely to live with or live in close proximity to their parents. If the variable of living arrangement is included, sons play a leading role in providing financial support but lag behind daughters in providing aging care. Discrepancy also exists between rural and urban families. While in rural China, it is still true that “sons give money and daughters provide care”; in cities, daughters have already outperformed sons in both aspects of financial support and aging care. Therefore, even though the Chinese tradition of relying on sons as the core provider of intergenerational support is still alive, significant changes have already occurred. Our study suggests that the rapid demographic transition and the improvement of socioeconomic status of women are the two primary contributors to such changes. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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On the Coefficients Comparison between Logistic Regressions and the Solutions： A Brief Review#br# HONG Yanbi Chinese Journal of Sociology    2015, 35 (4): 220-.   Abstract （1858）   HTML    PDF（pc） （607KB）（1116）       Knowledge map    Save This paper introduced the coefficients comparison between Logistic regression，which includes comparison between models within sample and that between samples or subsamples.Due to the unobserved heterogeneity (residual variation) problem in Logistic models，it is inappropriate to follow the OLS coefficients comparison in a naive simple way.With the same dependent variable，the total variance of OLS regression function is always fixed，which is irrelevant to the number of independent variables.However，the total variance of Logistic regression function will change as the independent variables increase or decrease，because the variance of error in Logistic regression is assumed to be constant，equals π2/3.Previous researchers proposed many solutions to this comparison problem.Based on the literature，this paper introduced five solutions：y*standardization，KHB decomposition，heterogeneous choice model，average partial effect (APE)，and linear probability model (LPM).Y*standardization and KHB only work in comparison between models within sample，heterogeneous choice model only works in comparison between samples or subsamples，and APE and LPM work in both situations.Drawing up on CGSS 2006 data，using educational transition model as an example，the author then showed the use and the differences between the five solutions through examining the cohort differences in school transition and whether the effects of parental ISEI differ in two cohorts’ school transition.The final part summarized the characteristics and contexts of the five solutions.   Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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Project System and Its Impact on Relationship between Different Levels of Government CHEN Jiajian ZHANG Qiongwen HU Yu Chinese Journal of Sociology    2015, 35 (5): 1-24.   Abstract （1701）   HTML    PDF（pc） （2542KB）（5554）       Knowledge map    Save  In recent years， project initiatives became an important administrative vehicle of the Chinese state governance.Existing literature speculate without documented empirical data that the system has increased the control of higher level authorities over their subordinates，affecting the lower level governments’ ability for overall coordination.To verify such claims this study examines a central government sponsored project of microlending program for women in Sichuan province. The finding indicates that although the project system provides opportunities for more higher level government control，it also allows lower level governments more bargaining power as counter weight. Unlike the institutionalized administrative contract system，in which rights and responsibilities are fixed，the project system permits negotiation on a projecttoproject base，allowing lower level governments to extract terms beneficial to local interests. Therefore，it is not just a topdown one way control. It is a twoway fluid relationship that is constantly in negotiation， clarification and formalization. In our view，the project system has forced local governments to protect local interest by focusing on clarification of rules and regulations，and formalization of rights and responsibilities. This began to have a farreaching effect on local governance，as well as the relationship between different levels of governments， and between state and society. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0） Cited: Baidu(9)

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