2019 Vol.39

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Case Studies towards the Analysis of Total Social Construction QU Jingdong Chinese Journal of Sociology    2019, 39 (1): 1-36.   Abstract （1658）   HTML    PDF（pc） （852KB）（634）       Knowledge map    Save Case study is an irreplaceable sociological strategy for research on social construction. Different from either hypothesis tests or descriptive accounts of social life, case study aims to make a long chain of interpretations from a typical case to the construction of the whole society, by linkages of concrete people, conditions and situations in a case with other related social, political, and cultural elements all the way through. In other words, the case is not only influenced by the policies made by central or local governments in different levels from above, but also located in grassroots customs and mores at bottom. To find these multiple relations horizontally and vertically clustered in a case study, various methods of -graphy must be used, such as geography, cartography, demography, historiography, biography, autobiography, lexicography, and ethnography finally. But at the same time, all these elements and their relations should be activated by eventalization happened in daily life. Through the ways of stimulation of abnormal process or sublimation of normal rituals in eventalization, the complicated, correlative, and sustainable relationships among social elements are presented as many social mechanisms in different dimensions. On all accounts, the whole scene of society will be opened out as a solid structure by the various points (events), lines (linkages), and plane (mechanism) in three dimensions, as Max Weber said, "the causal relations in sociological research would be satisfied as a special explanatory demonstration". Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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Return Life to Society: Biography as a Narrative of the Whole ZHAO Bingxiang Chinese Journal of Sociology    2019, 39 (1): 37-70.   Abstract （934）   HTML    PDF（pc） （977KB）（452）       Knowledge map    Save Biography is a unique way of narration in ethnography and historiography. This paper attempts to position the works of Lin Yaohua in the context of the sociological and anthropological debates since the 1920s,and by doing so,explores the potentials of biographical method in the study of Chinese history and society. Although Lin was a bearer of the biographical tradition of Chinese literature and history,his works were also deeply influenced by both the narrative method of life history in America and the social life studies in France. In addition to the two influential western biographical traditions,anthropologists in Britain developed the genealogical method in their investigation of sacred kingship. This study regards these three traditions of individual life biography,social life studies,and genealogical methods as "biography triangle". Relevant works in contemporary Chinese sociology and anthropology are reviewed under this framework. It is conceivable that phenomenological description alone is not sufficient when applying the biographical method. One must take into consideration of the Chinese centralized power and the overall social structure. Only by placing life biography against the everchanging process of society can it turn individual stories into powerful narratives depicting the whole structure of Chinese social life. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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The Power of the Sociological Ethnography: Revisiting Some Fieldwork of Early Social Research TIAN Geng Chinese Journal of Sociology    2019, 39 (1): 71-97.   Abstract （845）   HTML    PDF（pc） （722KB）（365）       Knowledge map    Save Since about the 1970s, sociological ethnographers have incorporated much of the traditional humanistic approaches into their fieldworks and narrative writings, and in so doing, have expanded the boundary of ethnography. This development, however, has not dissolved the tension facing sociological ethnographers between depicting the intensely first-hand experiences and theorizing them simultaneously. This paper proposes a historical as well as theoretical approach to understand this recurring tension. It is argued that the social researchers of some very important fieldwork conducted between the late 19th century and the end of the WWI conflated moral visions into their ethnographical inquiries. These early researchers sought out direct observations of the social world but, each in his own ways, managed to epitomize their subject matters and,during the process, offered a new structure of sentiment that added experiential valor to the normative sensibility characteristic of their times. The moral dimension of the early fieldwork enriches our understanding of the progressive morality. It is therefore argued that a serious exploration of the linkages between the empirical study, the structure of feeling and the moral reformation is crucial for the critical examination of the existing knowledge about the growth of sociological ethnography as well as the progressive morality itself. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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Understanding Qualitative Methods by Intellectual History Approach: A Focus on the Construction of Meaning in Research Context LUO Yinan Chinese Journal of Sociology    2019, 39 (1): 98-128.   Abstract （756）   HTML    PDF（pc） （684KB）（260）       Knowledge map    Save This article argues that the intellectual history approach generates new ways for understanding qualitative research. The approach focuses on the processes,in which the meanings of qualitative methods emerge in concrete contexts, and thus enables the researcher to interpret such meanings from authors' writings that claim the legitimacy of the methods in application. Through an in-depth discussion of three methodological perspectives,this article shows how the intellectual history approach can deepen our understanding of qualitative methods by shifting our focus from the taken-for-granted meaning structures bestowed outwardly,to the mechanism by which the concrete meanings emerge,alter and are retained within the subjective world of the authors. These concreate meanings can be seen as an outcome of the researchers' intention to reconcile the enduring insufficiency of methodological designs with the actual changing situation that they intend to explain in the real world. This article thus brings back the issue of meanings to the current discussion of qualitative methods. It is argued that theexisting discussion tends to emphasize either the normative or the structural dimension of qualitative methods while ignores the concrete and fluid meanings of those methods as well as the contexts that produce them. With this in mind, the article suggests a new direction for understanding qualitative research. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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The Methodological Foundation of Case Research: Exploring Qu's Novel Ideas over Case Selection, Case Study and Theory Building KENG Shu Chinese Journal of Sociology    2019, 39 (1): 129-152.   Abstract （838）   HTML    PDF（pc） （735KB）（297）       Knowledge map    Save This paper is a response to Jingdong Qu's paper on the methods of case research. Its goal is two-fold:on the one hand,the paper seeks to make sense of Qu's novel ideas concerning the positivist methodology and thereby to stimulate further dialogues between the positivists and interpretivists;on the other hand,it aims at translating Qu's innovative suggestions into practical strategies as guidance for case research. Given the stated goal,the paper organizes its discussion in three sections of case selection,case study and theory building. The discussion offers a comparison of Qu's approach to the typical positivist as well as interpretative approach to highlight the differences among the three. For instance,regarding case selection,the paper explores the significance of existing knowledge and relevant "typical cases" as a strategy of case selection. In regard to case research,the paper discusses the limitations of the small-N plus context-sensitive nature of case research and then evaluates the merits of "multiple approaching" and "event metaphor",the two research strategies proposed by Qu. In conclusion,the paper strongly concurs with Qu's emphasis on "locating mechanisms" and "discovering structures",but also points out the inherent predisposition toward structuralism (or the sociological bias) in Qu's proposal of case methods. Echoing Qu's call,this study serves to help establish the methodological legitimacy of case research and bring together the positivists and interpretivists for further exchange and collaboration. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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From Tripartite Division of Social Functions to Binary Alliance: Political Genesis Hypothesis in Dumézil's Study of the Indo-European Civilization ZHANG Yuan Chinese Journal of Sociology    2019, 39 (1): 153-183.   Abstract （1262）   HTML    PDF（pc） （874KB）（265）       Knowledge map    Save Among the reviews on Dumézil's theory on the political genesis, little attention has been paid to his later transition from discussing the tripartite division of social functions to binary alliance. To comprehend the theoretical implication of this transition, this paper relies mostly on the analyses of his later works, especially the book From Myth to Fiction:The Saga of Hadingus. Under the influence of both Marcel Mauss' and Marcel Granet's theories and approaches, Dumézil sought out the sociological theories and political principles formulated by the hierarchical solidarity and sovereignty embedded in the Indo-European myths. To illustrate how the Indo-European civilization builds up its ideal society, Dumézil first proposes that the tripartite division of social functions is the core of the hierarchical solidarity in the Indo-European civilization. Later, through further comparisons of different myths in the Indo-European world, he comes to the realization that the hierarchical solidarity is generated by binary alliance while the tripartite division of social functions is nothing more than an outcome of binary alliance. By introducing the concept of ‘alliance’ into the analysis on the structure and logic of the mechanism of the state, Dumezil finally arrives at a framework for modern social sciences to comparatively analyze three major social types:tribal societies, classical civilizations as well as modern polities. In this sense, Dumézil's theory on political genesis goes beyond the classical studies' narrow presupposition of polities and divine kinship in the Indo-European civilization. Its application also expands beyond the traditional anthropological analyses on the alliance and chiefdom in "primitive" societies. Thus, Dumézil's theories and approaches can provide a stimulating perspective for the Chinese studies of humanities and social sciences.. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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Seeking Scientific Knowledge of the Society: Saint-Simon's Social Physiology NI Yuzhen Chinese Journal of Sociology    2019, 39 (1): 184-210.   Abstract （1271）   HTML    PDF（pc） （764KB）（196）       Knowledge map    Save Faced with the post-French Revolution crises, the French thinkers of the early nineteenth century began turning away from the theory of natural rights and started paying much more attention to the social aspects of the society. As a result, social theories flourished. Saint-Simon, one of these social theorists, continued the efforts of Condorcet and the Ideologues to found social science and coined the term of "social physiology" as a science of social organization. Saint-Simon attached importance to the study of real people and concrete social facts, not the imaginary natural state. He was critical of the Enlightenment abstract notion of individual prevailing at the time. With the application of the new scientific knowledge in physiology and history, he attempted to reveal the social attributes of man and the significance of organization and social work in the development of human intelligence. Inspired by the Ideologues, Saint-Simon considered the society as an organism. He analyzed the relationship of the three social forces:the men of property, the proletarians and the savants. According to him, these different parts of the society should cooperate to constitute a harmonious unity. In his views, society cannot be understood with some snapshot studies and historical change is at heart of society. Through his study of historical facts and relations between these facts, Saint-Simon uncovered the dynamic mechanism of the European social history. Upon this basis, Saint-Simon proposed his preliminary ideas of social organization. The social theory of Saint-Simon merged together the kernels of social science and socialism. It helped France step out of the Revolution mood to begin reconstruction. Saint-Simon left us a legacy of dual spiritual heritages:fraternity and compassion for social sufferings as well as a rational scientific social science based on facts for social change. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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Dialect Competence,Language Environment and Urban Migration Entrepreneurship YANG Ye, ZHU Chen, TAN Yi Chinese Journal of Sociology    2019, 39 (1): 211-236.   Abstract （1054）   HTML    PDF（pc） （764KB）（600）       Knowledge map    Save In China,language has the dual attributes of "communication" and "culture". On the one hand,good communication skills not only help businessmen grasp information accurately but also help them impress creditors to secure external financing.On the other hand, local dialect competence help promote shared identity and facilitate local social networking to gain access to business resources and ease business transactions. This paper applies the social identity theory to explore the important role of the cultural attributes of language in migrant entrepreneurial behaviors. The data is drawn from the Chinese Family Panel Survey Data (CFPS). The regulation effect of language environment is analyzed through indicators of linguistic diversity and popularity of Mandarin.The study finds that after controlling the "communication attributes" of the language, the "cultural attributes" of the language increased the probability of migrants' entrepreneurship by 1.8%. The outcome is consistently presented even after applying the "twin" sample to overcome potential selectivity bias and endogeneity. The study also finds that the significance of the "cultural attributes" of language affects the migrant group with "low material capital" but is not visible with the group with "high material capital", an indication that social capital of shared cultural identityis used to compensate for the lack of material capital.Also,areas with less linguistic diversity and a lower level of Mandarin usage see more effects of the "cultural attributes" of language in migrants' start-up business decisions,however, such attributes have no impact on business income.This study enriches the existing research on language behaviors by making a link between language and entrepreneurship that reveals the important role of "cultural attributes" of language in migrants' business behaviors. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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Chinese Journal of Sociology    2019, 39 (1): 242-0.   Abstract （685）   HTML    PDF（pc） （12406KB）（359）       Knowledge map    Save Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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The Huang Renyu Paradox and the Logic of the Empire ZHOU Xueguang Chinese Journal of Sociology    2019, 39 (2): 1-30.   Abstract （1496）   HTML    PDF（pc） （1095KB）（523）       Knowledge map    Save In a series of writings, historian Huang Renyu (Ray Huang) depicted a paradoxical phenomenon in the Chinese history-the coexistence of loose-coupling in China's governance on the one hand and the resilience and stability of political order on the other. The Huang Renyu Paradox has been observed throughout the long Chinese history: The stability and perpetuation of dynasties and royal successions were coupled with a bureaucratic apparatus whose downward reach had never gone beyond the county level. This article aims to interpret the Huang Renyu Paradox in light of the unified ideology based on the civil examination institution in the Chinese history.It has been observed in the organization literature that there is a substitution effect between professionalization and bureaucratization. That is, a lower level of bureaucratization tends to accompany a higher level of professionalization in formal organizations. Drawing on this insight, I argue that there is a similar substitution effect between ideological unification and organizational solidarity in China's governance. In particular, the unified official ideology, sustained by the institution of civil examination, played a central role in the making of the Huang Renyu Paradox. The civil examination can be seen as a professionalization process of official-scholars who became the carriers of the official ideology, in the form of Confucianism. The unified ideology provided the isomorphic institutional basis across different localities, areas, and layers of the bureaucracy, and hence the integration of the empire, giving rise to a loose-coupling system of governance in the Chinese history. Specifically, the civil examination institution led to (1) horizontally, the mutual diffusion and intertwining between formal and informal institutions across the boundaries of the Chinese bureaucracy, and (2) vertically, the link between the state and society that shifted between ceremonial and substantive authority. These lines of arguments are illustrated drawing on recent historical research on social history, legal history, and local and kinship organizations.This article concludes with the observation that, in contemporary China, the mode of governance experienced a significant turn, a shift from governance on the basis of a unified ideology to organizational solidarity. The institutional building based on formal organizations has generated a set of salient characteristics as well as challenges for the governance of China today. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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“One Ruler Measures to the End”: Rule Hardening in Grassroots Governance——Taking a Pilot Project in Urban Renewal as an Example SHI Yunqing Chinese Journal of Sociology    2019, 39 (2): 31-57.   Abstract （1654）   HTML    PDF（pc） （786KB）（519）       Knowledge map    Save Regarding launching an urban renewal project,the rising social pressure makes the grassroots state harden the rules while the remaining high pressure from the top makes them keep rules elastic,the contradiction between which causes the dilemma in urban development nowadays. Taking a landmark pilot project as an example,via the observation of the practice of rule hardening principle described as “One Ruler Measures to the End”,this article tries to answer the question of how it is possible for power to reproduce its operational space under nowadays-rising regulatory constraint. In this case,the principle of “Rule Hardening” includes both “result” and “process”,and fulfills through three-step mechanism as hardening in external conditions,hardening in compromising rules and hardening in the limitation of bringing to press. Though this mechanism,the grassroots state manages to mobilize the resources embedded in the system and extend the hidden boundary of the hard and rigorously rules on the surface that makes the rules elastic and soft again,but in a more formal,institutional and organizational way. It could be considered as the state correspondence to the rising social protest during last phrase and indicates a more exquisite and unobvious way of governance,which shows the continuously interaction between the state and the society in the long view of history. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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Does “Basic Health Protection for All” Improve Farmers'Health? Reassessing the Effect of CNCMS on Medical Service Utilization, Health and Income of Inpatients ZHANG Dan, XU Zhigang, CHEN Pin Chinese Journal of Sociology    2019, 39 (2): 58-84.   Abstract （1329）   HTML    PDF（pc） （926KB）（567）       Knowledge map    Save China's New Cooperative Medical Scheme (CNCMS) has basically achieved “Basic Health Protection for All”, but there is still no consensus whether the program has really improved the farmers' health. There are two main reasons: one is that the effect of CNCMS maybe is limited because of the principle of “wide coverage and low copayment” followed before the New Medical Reform in 2009, but its effect has strengthened after that and the data previous research used is before 2009 mostly, therefore it cannot estimate the effect brought by the New Medical Reform accurately; the other reason is that the previous research ignores the heterogeneity of people with different age, health and wealth. Based on the data of 2011 and 2013 CHARLS(China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study) national survey, this study explores the effect of CNCMS on farmers' medical expenditure, health status and income systematically by using propensity score matching (PSM). We mainly focus on people who have higher demand for medical care such as inpatients or people who should have been, and all samples are divided into different groups by age, health and wealth. The result shows that, although CNCMS has an effect on farmers' health status, it is limited and hard to say CNCMS can fully improve farmers' health, even for those who have poorer health, demanding more medical care or are referred to hospital. However, those who are older, poorer or have poorer health have huge benefit. For them, CNCMS has a positive and strong effect and it can improve their health significantly without increasing out-of-pocket expenditure. Besides, the longer time they enroll in it the greater the effect. For those who are younger and have better health, participating in CNCMS will let them have more access to medical service. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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Spatial Structure Type and the Level of Social Interaction with Neighbors: Spatial Perspective of Urban Community Integration HE Xiaxu Chinese Journal of Sociology    2019, 39 (2): 85-106.   Abstract （1630）   HTML    PDF（pc） （643KB）（577）       Knowledge map    Save Community integration is an important way to improve capacity of national grassroots governance,while social interaction with neighbors is one of the important aspects of community integration. Based on the data of China Labor Force Dynamic Survey Data of 2014 (CLDS), this article explores the relations between spatial structure of urban community and social interaction with neighbors. Three basic spatial structures within community are constructed: social space, physical space and ecological space. The study has found that the higher level of occupational heterogeneity,the lower the level of social ties among neighbors; the level of economic heterogeneity has no effect on neighboring ties. Heterogeneity of dimensional differences have played selective negative effects at community level. The higher proportion of local population and the higher frequency of residents' participation in social organization activities, the higher the level of neighboring ties. The positive effect of residents' participation has compensation effect for heterogeneity. Physical space of community structure includes segregated and shared facilities. Segregated facilities such as the buildings access control have substantially reduced the level of neighboring ties. It plays the role in protecting the residents of this building and excluding non-residents, that also reflects the vulnerability of neighboring ties and residents' inertia psychology in maintaining relations. The number of shared facilities in the community has no influence on social ties with neighbors. Environmental pollution in residential areas has a direct damaging effect on social connections with neighbors. The green ratio of community can enhance the level of social interaction with neighbors. Therefore, in the process of community integration and reshaping, reducing the degree of environmental pollution in residential areas, building a friendly community ecological environment, and actively encouraging and promoting residents to participate in different types of social organization activities are important ways to improve the level of neighboring ties. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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The Diverse Structure of China's Middle Class and Its Multidimensional Political Orientation QIN Guangqiang, ZHANG Meiling Chinese Journal of Sociology    2019, 39 (2): 107-132.   Abstract （1193）   HTML    PDF（pc） （880KB）（362）       Knowledge map    Save The middle class in contemporary China is not a class entity with uniform characteristics, but a social existence group form with multiple levels. Based on the two dimensions of system segmentation and market situation, this paper divides five basic types of middle class, and uses the 2015 Chinese Social Survey Data (CSS) to draw the multi-dimensional political orientation of the middle class from the five related dimensions of political attention, political efficiency, political trust, opinion expression, and collective action. The results show that the political orientation of the two middle classes in the system is obviously conservative and stable, they show a high awareness of the recognition and maintenance of the existing order, and there is basically no negative evaluation of the government and the intention to seek change; the new middle class outside the system is in a position of “high economic status” and “low political status” shows a radical political orientation, their political attention and sensitivity are high, but their sense of political efficiency and political trust are obviously low, and there is a markedly high level of collective action participation experience or willingness; while the marginal middle class and the “old” middle class present a complex duality of political radicalism and indifference, and this duality is largely divided by age, market opportunity and living conditions. The middle class outside the system constitutes a potential unstable factor. It should focus on the integration of the class, the integration of interests, and the smooth of the upward mobility channels to foster and strengthen the middle class, so that it can better play the role of the “stabilizer” of society. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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Threatened Interests,Satisfaction towards Governments' Work and Citizens' Acceptance to Migrant Peasants in Urban China:Based on the Empirical a Analysis of CSS2011 LIU Jiankun, XU Hongzhi Chinese Journal of Sociology    2019, 39 (2): 133-159.   Abstract （1042）   HTML    PDF（pc） （798KB）（292）       Knowledge map    Save This article tends to explore the formation mechanisms of urban native citizens' exclusive attitudes towards the migrant peasants in contemporary China. By reviewing the theory of threatened interests,which is regarded as the mainstream explanation for urban native citizens' rejection to migrants,and based on Coser's conflict theory and the process of the changing interest structure in China our research studies the evolution of the relationship between citizens and governments and its influence on citizens' exclusive attitudes towards the migrant peasants. By analyzing China Social Survey data in 2011,we find that:(1) though the citizens' exclusive attitudes partly derives from the deterioration of their current life situation,the main reasons are their interest loss in the past and pessimistic expectations to their future status;(2) The lower satisfaction toward governments' work of providing public services,the lower willingness of the local citizens to accept migrant peasants;(3) Affected by their dissatisfaction towards the government with low administrative efficiency and poor ability to narrow social inequality,urban citizens who lost their status in the past are more likely to significantly reject the peasant immigrants. The results indicate that citizens' exclusive attitudes towards the migrant peasants are mainly unrealistic. Moreover,citizens' interests loss and their satisfaction towards governments not only influence their willingness to accept peasants in cities respectively,but also have an internal relationship,thus generating the “scapegoat” mechanism that could make the peasant immigrants become an alternative target of some citizens to express their dissatisfaction towards governments. Finally,from the perspective of social integration,we discuss the necessity of accelerating the reform of interest distribution as well as narrowing the income gap in urban China. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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A Different Face of Social Network: Employer-based Enclave and Migrant Workers' Rights and Interests WEI Wanqing, GAO Wei Chinese Journal of Sociology    2019, 39 (2): 160-185.   Abstract （1142）   HTML    PDF（pc） （713KB）（305）       Knowledge map    Save In China, rural-to-urban migrant workers who are from the same place of origin tend to concentrate in the same workplace. If the concentration is sufficiently dense, it means those migrant workers build up a social network that could be defined as native place enclave (NPE). Progress has been achieved in increasing the understanding of NPE in migrant workers studies. What is the relationship between NPE and migrant workers' rights and interests? Answers to the question can be roughly categorized into two groups. The first group includes immigration research that emphasizes that the network of NPE is an important social capital of migrants and plays a positive role in the rights and interests of migrants. The concept of social capital has been used as a frame to discuss NPE in immigration research literature. NPE has played an important role for migrant workers to adapt to the city in China, and the “enclave thesis” speculates that immigrants benefit from working in enclaves. However, the second group contained labor research emphasizes negative perception of NPE. They emphasized that the function of NPE was not to control migrant workers but rather to guide them by using soft rules of interpersonal relationships. Based on previous studies, we argued that there was still a knowledge gap to fill concerning both sides of the coin, that is, the dark side and the bright side of informal networking. When migrant workers and their employers come from a NPE, they probably enter in a reciprocity relationship. Migrant workers can benefit from their employers when they look for jobs and pursue promotion. At the same time, employers can play emotional cards to persuade the migrant workers to cooperate even if they have to work overtime and intensely. In this paper, based on the data from a 2010 survey of migrant workers in the Pearl River Delta and the Yangtze River Delta, we discussed whether there were differences between enclave workers and non-enclave workers in migrant workers' rights and interests. We divide migrant workers' rights and interests into baseline rights (BR) and development-oriented rights and interests (DR). We found that the relationship between NPE and migrant workers' rights and interests is two sides of the coin. First, the relationship between NPE and baseline rights of migrant workers, such as basic personal rights, arrears of wages, was positive. Second, enclave participation has a significant negative influence on migrant workers' development-oriented rights and interests. Compared to non-enclave workers, enclave workers were more overtime and more likely to fail to meet the minimum wage standard. Our results implied that lack of institutional protection and dependence on informal system were very limited in improving the rights and interests of migrant workers. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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Princess Wencheng in Historical Writing: The Difficulty in Narrating Ethnic History in Multi-Ethnic China WANG Juan Chinese Journal of Sociology    2019, 39 (2): 186-213.   Abstract （1247）   HTML    PDF（pc） （1089KB）（183）       Knowledge map    Save For a multi-ethnic political entity, whether it is an empire or a nation-state, the key to its survival is an inclusive order under which multiple ethnic groups with different heritages coexist peacefully. Historical writing on ethnic groups and interactions among them is an important part of this order. To demonstrate the point, this paper offers an examination of three different historical narratives of Princess Wencheng. In the first narrative from Chinese classical literature, Princess Wencheng was treated as an insignificant figure and the text paid much more attention to the ceremony of the “peace marriage” than Princess' individual traits. In the second narrative from Tibetan ancient literature, the treatment was quite different. Portrayed as the incarnation of Green Tara, a tantric deity in Tibetan Buddhism, the Princess supposedly possessed Goddess qualities and magic power. This striking difference reflects the different worldviews and ideal orders of the Chinese and Tibetan civilizations. The former reveals a system of “All Under the Heaven” with China as the single center; and the latter reflects the system of Buddhism with multiple centers. The coexistence of these two worldviews is a perfect expression of the diversity and inclusiveness of the imperial system. Shaped by the nationalist discourse during the first part of the 20th century, the third narrative retold Princess Wencheng's story in the new light of nationalism, hence, she was gradually transformed into a new role of a “transmitter of technology”. The paper offers a detailed analysis of this process and its deep meanings, and a critical comment on the historical writing under the guidance of the so-called “progressive historical viewpoint” since the late Qing. The conclusion discusses a theoretical explanation of the structural dilemma of nationalism and ethnicity in modern multi-ethnic China. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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Tönnies and Simmel: The Divide of Social Ethics and Cultural Ethics ZHANG Weizhuo Chinese Journal of Sociology    2019, 39 (2): 214-241.   Abstract （1389）   HTML    PDF（pc） （766KB）（276）       Knowledge map    Save As two founders of German Sociology, Ferdinand Tönnies and Georg Simmel laid the foundation of the opposite pattern of modern ethical life. Their divide of the ethical view of life stemmed from their experience of the age and the explanation of the intellectual history respectively. From the context of the natural law theory, the essence of Tönnies' social ethics is reestablishing the order and custom of modern political society, every cultural value must meet the needs of society, therefore he traces back to the social history of German people and has portrayed a new ethical life of German society by reinterpreting the family spirit. By contrast, Simmel's sociological thought made the critics of social ethics the precondition from the beginning. In his view, the scholars who share the worldview of social ethics have not noticed the fate of externalization and ambiguity of modern politics and social development. So, he regards the individual life that transcends the society as the end of the ethics. The head-on confrontation between Tönnies and Simmel begins from their interpretations of Friedrich Nietzsche's moral doctrine and then ascends to the debate on Kant's ethics. Tönnies' social ethics is the derivative of Kant's ethics, form individual rational self-discipline to collective normative psychology. Simmel believes that Kant had presupposed a pure rational other outside the individual, so he fell into the abyss of heteronomy. Tönnies' social ethics have now enlarged this paradox to the wealth position and power domination by the social authority. Thus, the social ethics obliterates the value of individual's life. Simmel thinks that life not only means individual being in the society has his full personality, but also gives birth to the objective ethical responsibilities applied to himself. From the period of the German Reich to the Weimar Republic, the divide and the converging of the social ethics and cultural ethics have provided us a principal line to understand the history of German sociological theory. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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Chinese Journal of Sociology    2019, 39 (2): 242-0.   Abstract （564）   HTML    PDF（pc） （16652KB）（244）       Knowledge map    Save Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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The Ambit of Flourishing Peace: Kang Youwei's Perspective of Eurasian Civilizations as Seen in The Travelogue of Italy WANG Mingming Chinese Journal of Sociology    2019, 39 (3): 1-56.   Abstract （1261）   HTML    PDF（pc） （1284KB）（193）       Knowledge map    Save In the middle of 1904, the renown Chinese thinker and reformer Kang Youwei made his "journey to the West". In Italy, the first of the 11 European countries he visited, Kang inspected the historical relics, political institutions, and local customs. Taking the opportunity of "being there", he made an on-the-spot inquiry into the age-old Roman civilization. He also compared the Western way with the "Continental" Chinese way of being political and civilized. Near the end of 1904, Kang compiled his diaries, poems, and notes of the journey into a book entitled The Travelogue of Italy (the first of the series of his Travelogues of 11 European Nations), which is the focus of this study. The Travelogue of Italy is treated in this paper as an example from which a major perspective of "civilization" can be reconstructed and re-enacted. To the author, a social anthropologist keenly interested in the political and cosmological perspectives of civilization, Kang's Travelogue of Italy, an old-style "ethnographic" text in which a pattern of "civilizational modernity" (in contrast with "national modernity") is inscribed, proves to be one of the most fascinating achievements of late period traditional Chinese "gazettes of foreign countries". This paper offers the following four parts of discussion:(1)a synoptic biography of Kang's life with a specific focus on his political thinking during the epoch of transition;(2)a mapping of Kang's voyage from the East to the West; (3)an overview of Kang's interpretation of the civilizational differences between Roman empire and the Han "All-under-Heaven" as presented in the travelogue; (4) an analysis of Kang's viewpoints of the relation between European and Asian civilizations. In the introductory and concluding sections, the author presents his views on the relevance of Kang Youwei's perspectives to the critique of post-traditional Chinese "nation-building" social sciences. The paper serves as a sequel to the author's extended essay on the re-conceptualization of "civilization" by Kang Youwei's European contemporary Émile Durkheim (and his inheritor Marcel Mauss). Interwoven throughout the discussion are comparative points between King and Durkheim. It is suggested that both men define "civilizations" in terms of "supral-societal" or "supra-national" systems. Nonetheless, unlike Durkheim, who remained deeply concerned with improving the life of the nation, Kang was inclined to conceptualize such systems in terms of the "ambit of flourishing peace" (shengping shi), a dynamic state of human political existence between the age of violent chaos and that of the Great Unity. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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NGO Global,Volunteerism Local: An Exploration of Moral Anthropology FANG Hongxin Chinese Journal of Sociology    2019, 39 (3): 57-92.   Abstract （1038）   HTML    PDF（pc） （889KB）（180）       Knowledge map    Save This paper is an exploratory research of moral anthropology focused on the local practices of global NGOs. For over more than 10 years, Ruili Women and Children Development Center (the Center) in southwest border of China has developed itself into a NGO that adopts international practices and fosters a spirit of grassroots volunteer dedication. In this paper, two anthropologists' analytic framework of morality will be examined and the author's view on morality/ethics based on the above case study will be discussed in three aspects:morality as norm, morality as good deeds, and ethics as effect of life itself. The Center came into existence in response to the decline and uncertainty of local morality norm. Under such a condition, the Center alliances itself with the transnational global humanitarian ideas and practices to provide the much needed medical care for the sick in the region. In the process, the Center, mainly made of female members, has created a viable organization that is in tune with global NGO humanitarian concepts and practices and an army of devoted volunteers, especially among the HIV infected women, who have found new meanings and ethics in life. This study hopes to broaden our theoretical and experiential understanding of NGOs, and of how to meet the societal needs at the times of social change. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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Enterprising and Lost: Professional Lives for Programmer -Interns WANG Chengwei, YANG Kunyun Chinese Journal of Sociology    2019, 39 (3): 93-122.   Abstract （2309）   HTML    PDF（pc） （1454KB）（810）       Knowledge map    Save Internship is a typical precarious job. Among all interns, however, programmer interns distinct themselves as a group that often performs the same tasks as formal employees at the junior programmer level but endures much higher work pressure and much lower pay. Even as many in the group are at the age close to the so-called "35 years old crisis point," a long-term internship is still seen as the only right track for professional career development. Drawing on Burawoy's (1979) concept of the game of "making out", this study explores the construction of subjectivity in precarious jobs by looking into the manufacturing of consent of programmer-interns in a takeout delivery service company. Programmer-interns became accustomed to identify themselves with a particular type of quantifiable labor product, for instance, the "post-it" on the whiteboard in a "stand-up meeting", or the "T-levels" (technology levels) that, according to the internet industry, is the "gateway" for professional career development. Programmer-interns seem to believe that rather than secondary education, or state-owned enterprises, or multi-national enterprises, only domestic internet companies can help them to complete their enterprising-selves. Even though supervisor-intern relationship and gender game of masculinity expression constitute part of programmer-interns' enterprising-self game, the essence of the game has never been challenged and in some ways is only being reenforced. That essence is the continuous step up of T-levels. However, for the majority of programmer-interns, the outcome of the game is the loss of self as they are trapped in an endless cycle of step-up. As if by improving their labor value as skilled workers, programmer-interns are simultaneously closing off other windows of opportunity of winning the enterprising-self game. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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Labor Export,Transnational Production Politics and the Formation of Exploitation Relationship-A Case Study of Chinese Workers in Japan LIU Xinghua, WANG Yong Chinese Journal of Sociology    2019, 39 (3): 123-153.   Abstract （1159）   HTML    PDF（pc） （1113KB）（382）       Knowledge map    Save In the context of globalization,labor export from developing countries to developed countries has shaped a relationship of exploitation between employers and employees. This study presents the case of Chinese migrant workers' overtime pay in Japan and explores the formation mechanism of the exploitation using the analytic framework of "transnational production politics". Transnational migrant workers often see overtime as an indispensable opportunity to generate extra income to support families back home. This need is being taken advantage of by employers who habitually reduce overtime pay or not pay at all. Overtime pay often becomes a focal point of labor conflict. Because of the limited protection for migrant workers in the labor law of the host countries,the rights granted to employers by the foreign labor system,the competition from migrant workers of other nationalities and the selective asylum policy provided by transnational intermediaries,Chinese migrants suffer a dilemma of either surrendering to the low overtime pay or loosing overtime work,or even their job all together. Whether to resist or surrender,it seems that the outcome is all the same for migrant workers:they lose and employers win. This transnational production polity exercises its "market authoritarian". Elements such as constraints of the foreign labor system,loopholes in the system used by the employer,global surplus labors and separation of maintenance and renewal process in labor reproduction mode,reflect the transnational production politics peculiar to international contract labor mobility. It becomes an important mechanism for the re-emergence of the forced exploitation of capital in developed capitalist countries. Unlike the exploitative relationship between local workers and employers in developed countries,the exploitation between migrant workers and employers is born out of the imbalanced development between countries. Migrant workers not only have no protection of the host country's welfare system,but also are controlled by strict laws regarding foreign labor,and threatened by competition from other migrant workers. All this has put employers in a strong advantageous position in conflict. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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Foucault in Syracuse: The Subjective Practice in the Political Spirituality ZHU Wencheng Chinese Journal of Sociology    2019, 39 (3): 154-182.   Abstract （873）   HTML    PDF（pc） （841KB）（195）       Knowledge map    Save "Back from Syracuse?" is a phrase used to satirize an intellectual who unwisely intervenes in political issues. Foucault received multiple denunciations and attacks for his interest in the Islamic Revolution of Iran in 1978. Foucault's fascination with the Iranian Revolution is rooted in his inspiration of the political spirituality manifested in the Revolution, which in his words, is a "negleted possibility" in the West that "we have forgotten since the Renaissance and the great crisis of Christianity". This paper examines the essays and interviews by Foucault during the year of 1978 and afterwards to illustrate that however prima facie it might be, Foucault's approval of political spirituality should not be seen as a "mistake" since it is a reflection of his work on the forms of subjective practices of individuals at the time and subsequently a main topic of his life work. Political Spirituality exhibits two aspects:an outburst of enormous collective will and a force transcending secularity. To Foucault, these two things are powerful weapons to resist against the rational regime of politics in Western societies. Foucault's open-mindedness to multi-cultural phenomena also contributed to his interest of the Revolution. It is suggested here that Foucault's reading on the Iranian Revolution influenced his change of interest from bio-politics in political sphere to technologies of the self in ethical sphere. His work on the forms of subjective practices follows the same pattern as his work on the Iranian Revolution, starting from how individuals change their forms of subjectivity in modernity. Foucault is not always right, but his insights on political spirituality and his claims on Parrhesia from the Stoic remain valuable to this day, for at the very least, they provide an invaluable perspective, if not better, in the sphere of public political discourse. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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Explaining One Subjective Variable with Another: A Methodological Clarification HU Anning Chinese Journal of Sociology    2019, 39 (3): 183-209.   Abstract （1294）   HTML    PDF（pc） （1631KB）（733）       Knowledge map    Save Sociological studies have rich subjective variables such as attitudes, perceptions, and preferences, and explanations of this type of variables often call for some more subjective variables. Empirical sociologists often have concerns about this approach of "subjective variable explaining subjective variable" in their empirical studies. Thus far, it is still not clear what kind of shortcomings the approach of "subjective variable explaining subjective variable" has, and more importantly, how to handle these concerns in order to enhance empirical explanations. Against this background, this study investigates the potential confounding bias in the "subjective variable explaining subjective variable" approach, and presents three strategies of theoretical reasoning, variable measurement, and data analysis in dealing with the issues. For each strategy, this article provides examples and discusses its advantages and limitations. Some unsolved issues, such as the direction of causation, the sensitivity analysis, and the measurement error, are also explored here. This study intends to bring in more diversity of sociological approaches and enhance the interdis-ciplinary collaboration (e.g., with psychology and political sciences). Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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The Fission of Revolutionary Purpose and the Transformation of the Mass Line: Moderation of Women's Policies of the CCP in the 1940s CHENG Wenxia, LI Hui Chinese Journal of Sociology    2019, 39 (3): 210-240.   Abstract （1318）   HTML    PDF（pc） （839KB）（196）       Knowledge map    Save As a Marxist revolutionary party,the CCP advocated gender equality,however,in the 1940s,its radical gender policies came under moderation. During the Soviet period,female emanciption was a powerful means of mobilizing women to participate in the land reform. The Anti-Communist "Encirclement and Suppression" had caused a significent number of male casualty and had drained male laborers from the land. This reality forced the CCP to focus on mobilizing females to step in males' role in production. At the same time,the intensified class conflict took the primacy over the gender equality issues arisen from the radical policies. As soon as the Sino-Japanese War started the CCP suspended the land reform,thus the radical gender policies had lost its practical foundation and the relationship between the Party and the masses had altered structurally.Because of the pressure to seize the resources for the War,the principle goal of the CCP shifted from liberation to draft of army recruits. The relationship between the Party and the peasants changed from coorperative to tense. Although the gender equality policies were shelved,the path dependence persisted. Only by the middle period of the War when the CCP modified its mass line as non-class struggle and production output focused to counter the KMT's "xiangong" (Restricting the CCP),the path dependency of gender equality was broken and moderated as the period had brought back the traditional gender difference and gender division of labor. The softening of the policies on women rebalanced the central goalsand principle objectives of the revolution,and compensated the preference of males and the physiological characteristics of female. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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Chinese Journal of Sociology    2019, 39 (3): 241-.   Abstract （683）   HTML    PDF（pc） （46566KB）（748）       Knowledge map    Save Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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Who is in the Center of the Stage? Public Sentiment and Politics in Xiangsheng MENG Qingyan Chinese Journal of Sociology    2019, 39 (4): 1-34.   Abstract （2022）   HTML    PDF（pc） （938KB）（713）       Knowledge map    Save Xiangsheng (crosstalk) is a traditional performing art that can be traced back well over 100 years. Through its long history, Xiangsheng has developed a set of unique performance style and a distinctive internal structure of scripts. Performers also formed their own unique artistic genres. Xiangsheng evolved gradually from street performance to stage art. Its performance format, script structure and skit style made constant adjustments in response to the changing social conditions. Xiangsheng as performance art reflects both aspects of politics and public sentiment, and state and society. In this paper, the author attempts to explain the origin, attributes and structural characteristics of Xiangsheng by using various materials of skits, local history, and personal memoirs. Through the lense of sociology and interpretive anthropology, comparison and analysis of classical works from different periods are presented through two standpoints:1) the multiple structure of Xiangsheng skits and meanings as social commentaries; and 2) the historical process of Xiangsheng evolving from low-class street folk performance to popular stage art form. The discussion reveals the social and political logic behind the evolution of Xiangsheng, and how public sentiment and politics are echoed in popular skits. Furthermore, the sociological interpretation of comic dialogues exposes the unique relationship among the state, market and society, and its practical presence in modern China. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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Between a Mountain Temple and a Mountain Foot Community: Social Configuration through Qingshui Master Procession Rituals LUO Yang Chinese Journal of Sociology    2019, 39 (4): 35-60.   Abstract （1644）   HTML    PDF（pc） （2122KB）（386）       Knowledge map    Save This article is a field study examining the relationship between a Penglai mountain temple and its mountain foot community in Penglai Town, Anxi County, Fujian Province. The analysis focuses on the ritual of Qingshui Master Procession (qingshui zushi xunjing). It is argued that the Qingshuiyan Temple connects with both the secular world on the plain and the spiritual world in the mountain. The lowland community cannot be self-sustained without mountain deities and trade of goods between the Temple and the community. As a focal point of communal activities, the Qingshui Master Procession ritual facilitates the formation of communities on the surrounding plain, generates an orderly rhythm of everyday life, as well as promotes community renewal in regular intervals. This ritual thus provides an indispensable means through which group differentiation and cohesion play out. The Qingshuiyan Temple itself serves as a channel for people to communicate with the spiritual world, bestowing a sense of sacredness to the people, objects, and communities on the plain. The Temple's centrality in local life rests on, not so much its physical location in the middle way of the mountain, but its intermediary role between lowland (secular) and mountain (spiritual), not an uncommon feature in the region of Anxi county. Traditional mountain dwellers like scholars, monks and Taoist priests such as Qingshui Master, are regarded by people in Anxi as "sacred people" (zhenren). They move between the human and spiritual worlds freely, blending nature and society. The Qingshuiyan Temple mirrors the social fabrics of Anxi society and its people's conceptualization of humankind. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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The Game of Popularity: Earning System and Labor Control in Live Streaming Industry XU Linfeng, ZHANG Hengyu Chinese Journal of Sociology    2019, 39 (4): 61-83.   Abstract （2128）   HTML    PDF（pc） （849KB）（823）       Knowledge map    Save The case study in this paper is a street band in Wuhan with its full members under live streamers contract. Borrowing from Michael Burawoy's concept of "the game of making out",this study describes the labor control mechanism in the live streaming industry as "the game of popularity". Popularity as a pivotal indicator of labor price decides the compensation of contracted live streamers. However,this seemingly objective popularity indicator can be in fact manipulated. Both live streamers and platform providers can benefit from fake popularity. In the game of popularity manipulation,the interests of capital and labor are joined,and consensus reached. In collaboration,live streamers become conspirators of the capital and thus lose control of their own labor,and distort the relation between labor input and compensation. By participating in manipulation,live streamers help affirm the ideological domination of platform economy. Neoliberal work ethic that emphasizes individual responsibility conceals the power relationship behind unstable employment like live stream. Despite being horrendously exploited,live streamers still think themselves as someone with "independent destiny". Online platform economy has transformed the labor-capital relationship. The earning distribution system,in combination with other social factors,often plays a vital role in labor control. Therefore,understanding the system and its influence on labor process and ideology is the right way to start for any exploration of concepts such as "industry regime" or "sector regime". Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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Hope and Anxiety: The Study of Female Embodied Experience with ARTs YU Chengpu, LI Wanlin, DENG Mingfen Chinese Journal of Sociology    2019, 39 (4): 84-115.   Abstract （959）   HTML    PDF（pc） （995KB）（506）       Knowledge map    Save Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ARTs) are hailed as "the gospel" to infertile patients in mainstream narrative. The existing literature mostly adopts the perspective of technology and social interaction, and often views the restrictions and constraints of social and cultural contexts on ARTs from a static and macroscopic perspective, ignoring the recipients of the technologies, especially the experience of women. This paper regards embodiment as the methodological orientation. It opposes both social and cultural determinism and biological determinism. Instead, it emphasizes the biological and experiential nature of the body while linking it to the external context, thus frees itself from the dilemma of bio-cultural dualism. It also avoids the neglect of social situations and the indifference to physical creativity and variability. Based on the investigation in Z hospital's reproductive center, the paper shows the three moral pressures of infertility, assisted reproduction and national policy faced by infertile patients, and the uncertainty of ARTs puts them in a more intense world of anxiety and hope. That is to say, ARTs in practice are far from simple "hope technology", instead, they throw women into the paradoxical world where hope and anxiety coexist. As embodied experience, anxiety and hope are transmitted through the body of women, which show the inscription of social-cultural context and technical uncertainty on the female body; meanwhile, women actively learn strategies to cope with the technical uncertainty and moral pressure from local culture (including recuperating the body, folk religion, etc.), so as to hold on infertility treatment with hope. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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Economy in a Substantive Sense: Anti-Utilitarianism Economic Anthropology as Seen from The Gift and The Great Transformation YU Xin Chinese Journal of Sociology    2019, 39 (4): 116-152.   Abstract （1672）   HTML    PDF（pc） （894KB）（481）       Knowledge map    Save Economic anthropology as seen from Mauss's The Gift and Polanyi's The Great Transformation provides inspirations for thinking about the current situation of the world. However, the discussion and interpretation of both works by English and American intellectuals in the 20th century deviate from the real intention of the authors and largely ignore the interconnection between these writings and the authors. Through a careful analysis of this interconnection, this study suggests that:1) Both Mauss and Polanyi oppose to the formalist economic model based on utilitarianism, and the contrasts of gifts and commodities, as well as the utopian dreams of liberalism and communism. 2) A careful reading of Mauss's and Polanyi's writings also indicates that both authors tend to see private property, market and money as formal means of social substance, i.e means of expression and organization of the substantial inter-exchange existed within society and frame of mind. Moreover, they regarded empirical studies of money, wealth and market as ways to approach the theoretical holism of society. By contrast, modern economic thought reverses the cause-effect sequence by making an independent economic sphere under the formalist model and a natural individual as the foundation of society. 3) Mauss and Polanyi complemented each other on their studies of the birth of modern society and individuals. 4) Polanyi's double movement, fiction commodity and embedment, along with Mauss's total presentation have to be understood in relation to their discussion on holism and substance of society. Mauss and Polanyi have broadened our understanding of individual and society, as well as of individual freedom and market. In their view, studies of people in their real and everyday life should be the starting point of economic anthropology. In this respect, The Gift and The Great Transformation give us an alternative and pluralistic way of explaining economy in a holistic society, together they lay the foundation of economic anthropology based on substantivism. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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The Life-course of Phenomenological Sociology LUO Chaoming Chinese Journal of Sociology    2019, 39 (4): 153-185.   Abstract （1992）   HTML    PDF（pc） （800KB）（513）       Knowledge map    Save Phenomenology is a philosophical thought originated in Europe. The common problems of the day brought by Weber's so-called "the disenchantment of the world" made phenomenology a widely influential force on various empirical sciences. Though the blend of phenomenology and sociology initially brought about a variety of potential approaches, for a long-time phenomenological sociology is simply regarded as a synonym for Alfred Shutz's works. This narrow interpretation not only generated a misunderstanding of phenomenological sociology, but also obscured the historical facts of its development, and possibly hindered the exploration of other potential approaches of phenomenological sociology. In this paper, the birth of phenomenological sociology will be placed in the context of the Phenomenological Movement, and the various possible approaches implied at the beginning of phenomenological sociology will be explained. By focusing on the Husserl-Schutzian approach, the apparent paradigm of phenomenological sociology, this paper outlines the life-course of the Husserl-Schutzian phenomenological sociology from its occurrence in Europe to its development, decline and aftermath in North America. Although the history of the Husserl-Schutzian approach in North America is the focus here, the paper also discusses the inherent possibility of exploring other potential approaches of phenomenological sociology, and to some extent, points to the possible direction such exploration might lead. It is hoped that this study will stimulate comparative study of phenomenological sociology in Europe and the United States, inspire exploration of other possible approaches, and thus help enhance our understanding of phenomenological sociology. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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Job Mobility and Its Income Effects under System Segmentation in Urban China ZHOU Yang, XIE Yu Chinese Journal of Sociology    2019, 39 (4): 186-209.   Abstract （1664）   HTML    PDF（pc） （703KB）（693）       Knowledge map    Save Analyzing longitudinal data from China Family Panel Studies (CFPS 2010 and 2012) from a dynamic process perspective, this paper systematically discusses job mobility patterns and their economic consequences in China's dual system segmentation labor market. We propose that the system segmentation becomes an important collective mechanism shaping mobility opportunity structure and rising economic inequality in the labor market. The system has three effects on job mobility:1) Stability effect:The system provides internal protection for its members; job shifts are less likely to occur inside the system than outside the system. 2) Income effect:Job changers gain higher income growth in the system than outside the system. 3) Entrenchment effect:The system becomes an invisible boundary and hinders entry into the system. These three effects of the system segmentation on job mobility are significant and robust, even after we consider selectivity. This paper combines system segmentation and workflow processes to explore the dynamic effect of the system on the labor market structure, which helps to better understand the stratification in China's current labor market. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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Why It Is Hard for Welfare Recipients to Exit Welfare? A Dynamic Study on Welfare Exit Pattern and Its Changing Tendency XIAO Meng, CHEN Honglin, LI Feiyue Chinese Journal of Sociology    2019, 39 (4): 210-240.   Abstract （1226）   HTML    PDF（pc） （2404KB）（530）       Knowledge map    Save Based on data from "Evaluation on Chinese Urban and Rural Low-income Household Support System(2014)", this paper uses the event history analysis method to explore the duration of welfare (dibao) and factors affecting dibao exit in the urban area. The study finds that welfare recipients commonly stay in welfare for long-term,however, it is not because of the "negative time dependence" or declining work motivation as claimed by the "time dependency hypothesis". On the contrary, the longer recipients remain in welfare, the likelihood ofexit increases, indicating that low exit rate is not caused by low work motivation. Further analysis shows that the low-income population suffers from labor capital deficiency and lacks employment assistance service, the two main determining factors leading to long-term welfare dependency. Furthermore, off-book informal employment constitutes an important barrier to dibao exit, even thoughits impact has been declining over the time. Several policy implications can be drawn from this study:Firstly, in tackling the issue of labor capital deficiency, a comprehensive growth-oriented welfare system should be developed; Secondly, the central government should increase its funding to ensure that local agencies have sufficient funds for employment assistance projects; Finally, the government should strengthen multi-sector information sharing mechanism and enhance the professionalization of means-tested eligibility to deal with off-book informal employment, and more importantly, change the Chinese employment structure by creating moreformal employment. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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“Paired Competition”: A New Mechanism for the Innovation of Urban Local Governance HUANG Xiaochun, ZHOU Li Chinese Journal of Sociology    2019, 39 (5): 1-38.   Abstract （1824）   HTML （2788）    PDF（pc） （928KB）（1085）       Knowledge map    Save In recent years,the focus of Chinese urban base level government has experienced a fundamental shift from economic growth to public service and social management. While economic growth can be quantified more easily,public service and management can not,thus performance evaluation has to be largely dependent on "impression-based results". Under such circumstance,a new mechanism of so-called "paired competition" is put in place to pair superior vertical lines of authority (tiao) with subordinate horizontal levels of local government (kuai) on voluntary bases. Pairs will compete with other pairs in areas of public services and social management. Paired competition can facilitate close cooperation between tiao and kuai, promote innovations and create quick "impression-based results". However,the mechanism also generates incentives for excessive innovations and reluctance of adopting good practices by rival pairs. The case study detailed here is the "Community Analysis Tools" promoted by the Civil Affairs Department of District A in a major Chinese city. In addition to examine the organizational and operational logic of paired competition,this study also compare paired competition with the traditional methods of "tournament competition" and "special-purpose project system". Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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From Minefield Authority to Local Government: Formation and Evolution of Tiao-Kuai Relation in China's Oil Field Regions CAO Zhenghan, WANG Ning Chinese Journal of Sociology    2019, 39 (5): 39-79.   Abstract （1219）   HTML （1024）    PDF（pc） （839KB）（471）       Knowledge map    Save A significant character of the Chinese state governance is the structure of tiao (vertical lines of authority from top down) and kuai (horizontal levels of authority of the territorial government) and the constant adjustment of the relationship between the two. Varies studies on state governance in China either neglect this character or frame the discussion in the way of central vs local authority. This brings us to an unanswered question of how to explain the formation and evolution of tiao-kuai relationship. This paper argues that the conflicts between the tasks undertaken by tiao and kuai are largely responsible for shaping the relationship. Often the central government assigns subordinate authorities multiple tasks that conflict with one another,a factor that dictates the degree of integration between tiao and kuai. The data collected from six oil field citiessupport the argument that the less compatible of the tasks between the two,the more clashes occur. Our study confirms the multi-task principal-agent theory. The tiao-kuai structure is an attempt by the central government to resolve the paradox between centralized authority and effective local governance while trying to achieve multiple development targets. It is hoped that this study will stimulate further theoretical discussion of the inherent contradiction of a centralized government and a better understanding of the institutional arrangement of the tiao-kuai structure. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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The Republican System Ideal and the Limitation of Public Opinions: Hume's State Theory XU Zhiguo Chinese Journal of Sociology    2019, 39 (5): 80-105.   Abstract （1069）   HTML （1189）    PDF（pc） （658KB）（295）       Knowledge map    Save Discussions on Hume's social political theory have been dominated by two major perspectives of civic humanism and natural jurisprudence, which focus on Hume's theory of justice and civic virtues but pay little attention to his theory on state.This paper looks into the work of political theorists such as Istvan Hont and Paul Sagar to explore the important position of Hume's state theory and clarify the internal logic of a nation's evolution from barbaric state to civilized state. Hume's state theory contains both normative and empirical dimensions. In the normative sense, the political system can be categorized into barbarism and civilization. In Hume's view, only a civilized government can maintain social stability, freedom and prosperity. Its ideal form is a scientifically designed republican government. In the empirical sense, the legitimacy of the state rests upon public opinions and its formation has to be an innate historical process, and has to change along with changing economic and social conditions. Hume, on one hand, points out how the evolution of commerce, custom and reason affects public opinions and promotes the change of politics from barbarism to civilization; however, on the other hand, due to the prevalent superstition among people, he also suggests that "prudent politicians" should take an incremental approach to promote justice and freedom in order to maintain authority and avoid possible risks.Hume deals with the contradiction of the twin dimensions with his division of mankind into two classes of "abstruse thinkers" (philosophers) and "shallow thinkers"(the bulk of mankind). Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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From Mauss to Lévi-Strauss: “Mana” and the Translatability of Practical Ideas XIE Jing Chinese Journal of Sociology    2019, 39 (5): 106-126.   Abstract （2041）   HTML （232）    PDF（pc） （672KB）（365）       Knowledge map    Save "Mana", an emblematic magic notion, constitutes a classic case in social anthropology. The different interpretations of mana by Marcel Mauss and Claude Lévi-Strauss represent a shift of theoretical paradigm from the French school of sociology to the structural anthropology. On the surface, the division between Mauss and Lévi-Strauss seems to be the translatability of "Mana". To Mauss, mana is non-translatable and, more to the point, it shouldn't be translated into modern scientific language at all. For Lévi-Strauss, mana is not only translatable but also must be interpreted in modern scientific language. This paper begins its inquiry with Mauss and Hubert's General Theory on Magic by treating mana as a "practical idea". It is argued that beneath the disagreement over the translatability, there are deeper divisions involving social ontology, definition of objects of social sciences, and relationship between theoretical and practical logic. The paper suggests that the conventional view concerning the relationship between Mauss' holism and Lévi-Strauss' structuralism is an oversimplified argument that ignores the fact that Lévi-Strauss not only disagrees with Mauss about the relation between "social reality" and "symbolism", but their quintessence as well. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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A Sociological Inquiry of the Way of “Filial Piety” ZHAI Xuewei Chinese Journal of Sociology    2019, 39 (5): 127-161.   Abstract （1394）   HTML （1456）    PDF（pc） （1060KB）（645）       Knowledge map    Save The idea of filial piety and its practice have paramount importance in Chinese history and culture. A sociological inquiry is called for to study the social practice of the idea, that is how the Confucian concept was internalized to become integrate part of the Chinese heart and mind. The origin of filial piety is about devotion to one's elders, however, under Confucianism it is regarded as a path to fulfill morality of benevolence. Filial piety thus becomes an actionable manifestation of benevolence, a thought-action process.In this process, the sociological significance is reflected in the notion of "Heaven and Men", an explanatory framework derived from the meaning of "repay the gift of life and return to the origin" embedded in filial piety.The reciprocal parent-child relation and its emotional roles are operated within this framework. At its core, the parent-child relationship is unequal and this inequality is what causes the guilty conscience and the forever gratitude towards one's parents.Filial piety encourages the Chinese to focus their entire social life on things like family continuity, social harmony, ethical behaviors, local networks, authority supremacy, and etc.,in order to promote social bonds in society.It can be said that filial piety is among the most pivotal and stable traditions in Chinese society. Although its dominance may have declined since the New Culture movement, to this day filial piety maintains the same center part of social fabric in China. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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