2022 Vol.42

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The Influence of Governance Structure on the Formation of China's Early Modern Industrial Organization MENG Qi Chinese Journal of Sociology    2022, 42 (1): 1-30.   Abstract （2206）   HTML （441）    PDF（pc） （3484KB）（534）       Knowledge map    Save Existing studies on the early modern Chinese industry and commerce have pointed out the correlation between industrial organizations and traditional social order, but have not fully explored the way as well as the mechanism of the relationship. This paper takes the mining affairs in Hubei in the 1870s as an example and examines one local resistance incident and the handling strategy of Li Hongzhang and Sheng Xuanhuai. The phenomenon of local resistance reflected the tension between the localized political and social order and the demands of the development of modern mining, and therefore its solution to the problem also lay in the local governance structure of the late Qing Dynasty. Through the strategy of "looking for supporters" and "profit sharing", the tension was subsided and the local resistance was mitigated to some extent. Both policies followed the logic of "pacification" governance theory formed with the development of China's traditional governance structure. By pacifying the local resistance, the Mining Bureau was able to come into existence and eventual became embedded in the governance structure of Hubei. The Bureau also presented the characteristic of localism, an important feature of Chinese early industrial organizations, which subsequently developed into a more complex form in the late stage of Chinese industrial organization and system. This "local" perspective enables us to better understand China's modern social transformation and industrial development. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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The House and Hospitality: Rethinking Kangding Guozhuang as Female-Headed Trade Posts and Authoritative Middlemen MU Jingran Chinese Journal of Sociology    2022, 42 (1): 31-65.   Abstract （2228）   HTML （81）    PDF（pc） （3955KB）（539）       Knowledge map    Save Guozhuang (trade posts) were a key organization on the ancient trade trail of the Tea Horse Road between Sichuan and Tibet. Guozhuang are "a-skya-kha-pa" in Tibetan, meaning "respectable hosts". In the existing research, scholars tend to regard Guozhuang as merely a specialized economic organization or trade brokers, and neglect the embedded social dimension beyond its market function. Guozhuang were always named after distinctive Tibetan family clans to symbolize identity, status and prestige. The inheritance rule of Guozhuang also reflected that the Guozhuang system had transcended the contrasting relations between patrilineal and matrilineal, marriage and succession, descent and selection. The Tibetan name for Guozhuang ("a-skya-kha-pa") testified that the original trade-posts and merchants relation was more like the customary relations between hosts and guests, not just trade partnership. Recognizing these attributes helps to clarify two major misunderstandings of Guozhuang. First, the emergence of female hostesses of Guozhuang was not a product of matrilineal institution or gender consciousness, but the result of marriage and succession under the rules of house. Second, the "authoritative middlemen" status of a Guozhuang was not due to its commercial success, but brought by the reputation of its original hosts. However, the political fragmentation and economic turbulence during Late Qing and Republic of China destroyed the traditional social fabrics, and Guozhuang trade posts eventually became pure commercial broker houses. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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The Governance Logic of Salt Trade Liberalization Reforms in the Mid-Qing Dynasty HAN Litao Chinese Journal of Sociology    2022, 42 (1): 66-87.   Abstract （2104）   HTML （38）    PDF（pc） （2621KB）（352）       Knowledge map    Save In the first half of the 19th century, in order to deal with the problems of the salt monopoly system, the Qing government promoted a series of salt liberalization reforms, of which the Ke Gui Di Ding in Hedong salt district and the Fei Yin Gai Piao in Huaibei salt district were the most representative. The reforms of these two districts eased the inherent contradictions of the salt monopoly system and brought improved revenue of the salt industry and better local economic performance. However, the difference between the two districts in the governance effectiveness led to divergent outcomes in the system:the reform of Hedong caused the floods of Mongolian smuggling groups, and was thus aborted eventually; while the reform of Huaibei helped eliminating the potential danger of smuggling, and therefore achieved a more stable institutional life. This difference was mainly due to the differences of the smuggling profit and the vagrant population between the two places. Because of the price difference prior to the reform, the liberalization gave a big boost to the profit margin of salt smuggling in Hedong, while the opposite was true in Huaibei. This had led to a significant increase of smuggling groups in one place and a decrease in another. After the reign of Jiaqing, due to the intensified population pressure and social unrest, homeless population gradually increased in Huaibei and so did the problem of salt smuggling. Nevertheless, Huaibei's liberalization policy was able to transform smugglers into legitimate salt merchants, helped absorbing the unemployed, and achieved good governance results, therefore not only did it last longer, but also realized the systems diffusion. This paper examines the course of reform, analyzes the timing of the key steps, and demonstrates the close interaction between the economic system and the social governance in traditional society. The grave issues of social governance in the first half of the 19th century profoundly influenced the reform direction of the salt system in the Qing Dynasty. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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The Paradox of Unstable Employment and the Citizenization of Migrant Workers: Based on the Perspective of Labor Process SHI Zhilei, LIU Sichen, ZHAO Ying Chinese Journal of Sociology    2022, 42 (1): 88-123.   Abstract （2473）   HTML （128）    PDF（pc） （4026KB）（907）       Knowledge map    Save From the perspective of labor process, this paper offers a theoretical analysis of political economy by treating unstable employment as a way of capital accumulation. The study uses the nationally representative survey data of migrant workers and interviews of enterprises, combined with the counterfactual methods such as generalized propensity value matching, to present an empirical case study. The general characteristics of unstable employment and the shaping of the contemporary Chinese migrant workers are discussed from the dual operation logic of the state and capital in order to understand the plight of the citizenization of migrant workers in the economic transition period. The globalization of capital accumulation and labor process have created the phenomenon of large-scale migrant workers and their unstable employment status in China. By dictating the employment flow of migrant workers, capital achieves the goal of maximizing profits without bearing the reproduction cost of laborers. This fundamentally leads to the paradox of the citizenization of migrant workers:the unstable employment helps migrant workers' job mobility in seeking better wages, but it is at the same time not conducive to the relocation of their family members. This form of capital accumulation conceals the fact that the so-called freedom of movement of migrant workers is merely a way for capital to maximize profit margins by so-called "pinching-the-tops" hiring practice. Unstable employment will not raise the collective income of migrant workers but only intensify the competition within the group. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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The Paradox of Seeking Help: Socio-Economic Status Differences in Medical Crowdfunding in the Era of Mobile Internet CHENG Cheng, REN Yi fei Chinese Journal of Sociology    2022, 42 (1): 124-156.   Abstract （2311）   HTML （80）    PDF（pc） （3281KB）（721）       Knowledge map    Save In recent years, the emergence of mobile internet-based crowdfunding has provided a new way for the poor to obtain emergency relieves for medical needs. Despite a number of reported scams, medical crowdfunding as a wholes has made an important social contribution to the society. Public opinions and sentiment highlight two practical issues:Are the resources being directed to the people who need the most? And how can we optimize the crowdfunding? To tackle these questions, we focus on the issue of how the socioeconomic status of help seekers affect their internet fundraising outcomes. We ask three research questions:What is the correlation between the socio-economic status of help seekers and their crowdfunding effectiveness? What are the underlying mechanisms for success? Is there a possible optimization path for crowdfunding? Our data is based on the 1 930 fundraising cases from a large medical crowdfunding platform in China. The study finds significant differences in effectiveness among different socio-economic status groups. Higher SES status correlate with higher donation figures, fundraising target completions, a larger number of donations received and more cross-social media platform reposting. This socio-economic gradient phenomenon contradicts the social expectation of prioritizing help to the most needed in medical crowdfunding. The analysis of mediation effect also shows that the offline interpersonal network plays an important intermediary role. While good case narratives are helpful but they are not the intermediary mechanism that links the family's socio-economic status and crowdfunding effect. Further analysis also finds that when fundraising begins with WeChat friends circles and then moves to public platforms, the impact of socioeconomic gradient seems to reduce its significance. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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From Political Art to General Sociology: Reconsidering the Legacy of Émile Durkheim's Political Sociology LI Ying fei Chinese Journal of Sociology    2022, 42 (1): 157-179.   Abstract （2045）   HTML （208）    PDF（pc） （2350KB）（451）       Knowledge map    Save This paper examines the formation of Émile Durkheim's general sociology and its thesis, attempting to demonstrate that the system of social science that Durkheim built from the particular to the general is directly related to his attempt to expand the classical analytical framework of political science, while his general sociology plays the role of traditional political science.Following Durkheim's original thesis of "the relationship between individualism and socialism", this study deals successively with the links between his theory and socialism, individualism, the political doctrine of Montesquieu. It provides a framework for understanding his political doctrine:drawing on Montesquieu's doctrine of intermediate bodies, Durkheim injects the principle of individualism into Saint-Simon's socialism to solve the practical problems of liberalism in France since the Revolution, and thus incorporates the economic life of modern society into the political issues.This paper further argues that Durkheim extends the political sphere from a pure theory of government to the totality of society with the aim of taking the latter as the primary problem of modern politics. In other words, in order to shift the issues of modern politics from the limitation of government forms and the pure construction of the legal system, Durkheim regards the social sphere as an overarching category that unifies all the problems of modern politics. It is only within this framework his political theory can be properly understood.Finally, the paper also points out that Durkheim does not deny the primacy of politics and the status of politicians, and the legacy of his political theory with civilizational and holistic overtones is far from being fully explored. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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Family Background, School Class Context and Adolescents' Intergroup Contact ZHANG Fan Chinese Journal of Sociology    2022, 42 (1): 180-211.   Abstract （2574）   HTML （298）    PDF（pc） （2594KB）（795）       Knowledge map    Save The social integration between migrant and native students is of great practical significance for promoting the healthy development of Chinese youth, educational equity and sustainable development of urban society. However, although previous studies have examined and analyzed this topic from different theoretical frameworks, most of them have neglected the important issue of social interaction between migrant and native children. This paper attempts to remedy this deficiency. By analyzing the national survey data of junior high school students, this study examines the influence of family background and school class context on intergroup friendship between migrant and native children. First of all, family socio-economic status has a positive effect on migrant students' intergroup interaction, but the higher the family socio-economic status of native children, the fewer intergroup friends they have. Second, there is an "inverted U-shaped" relationship between the group diversity in class and the number of intergroup friends. As group diversity increases, the fewer intergroup friends the migrant students make, while the opposite is true for the native students. Third, when a group has more intergroup interactions, its members have more outside-group friends and exert more greater impact on native students. When a group is more exclusive, fewer intergroup friendship occurs, especially for migrant students. Finally, this study also finds that the above effects of class context are mainly observed in school classes with the predominant number of native students. The results of this study show that family background and school class context are important factors in determining the differences in intergroup interaction between migrant and native students.More attention is warranted in future research to the micro-mechanism and the effect of social interaction between migrant and native students. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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Respondent-Driven Sampling: Estimation Diagnostic Based on Multiple Methods TANG Binbin Chinese Journal of Sociology    2022, 42 (1): 212-242.   Abstract （2411）   HTML （223）    PDF（pc） （3240KB）（509）       Knowledge map    Save Whether Respondent-Driven Sampling(RDS) with hypothesis violations can provide an unbiased estimate of the population is a question that needs to be examined. This article focuses on the validity of RDS estimates when random recruitment assumption violations occur.Since the serious consequence of violating random recruitment assumptions is high homophily levels and underrepresentation of overall RDS samples, RDS estimates based on these samples are deemed to be invalid. For this reason, this study offers a comprehensive diagnosis on RDS sample data that violate random recruitment assumptions by employing various approaches of RDS estimators, convergence plots and bottleneck plots, latitude and longitude information, and etc. The diagnostic results show that moderate violations of random recruitment assumptions do not lead to severe RDS bias and the RDS estimates remain valid. In addition, a practical description of the three diagnostic methods is presented. It identifies an applicable criterion for moderate hypothesis violation from a methodological perspective:(1) when the sample homophily level remains below 0.7, the proportion of sample characteristics can complete equilibrium convergence within six recruitment batches; or/and (2) both convergence plots and bottleneck plots of the sample can show that the sample eventually converges and stabilizes at the convergence value; or/and (3) if the effective geographic coverage area of the sample is substantially close to the entire survey area, the random recruitment assumption violation is considered as moderate at this point. A brief discussion of the advantages and limitations of these three diagnostics is also presented to forge a better understanding of RDS methods among Chinese researchers. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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The Pietist Ethic and the Spirit of Prussian Bureaucracy LU Chang, MENG Ke Chinese Journal of Sociology    2022, 42 (2): 1-28.   Abstract （3669）   HTML （344）    PDF（pc） （2961KB）（837）       Knowledge map    Save Rationalization occupies a central place in Max Weber's thought. However, Weber's discussion of rationalization in the administrative sphere (i.e., the emergence of modern bureaucracy) is not as detailed and systematic as his analysis of rationalization in the economic sphere (i.e., the birth of capitalism). Specifically, Weber did not reveal the religious and ethical basis behind the emergency of rational bureaucracy as he did with Calvinism behind the spirit of capitalism. In Weber's Economy and Society, the discussion of the administrative rationalization seems to make a "leap" of argument from the economic to the administrative sphere, which seems not particularly illuminating to our understanding of the complexity of the administrative rationalization, especially its underlying ethics. Therefore, in this paper we first return to the historical context in which Weber's theory of bureaucratization came into being, namely the Prussian bureaucracy from the seventeenth to nineteenth centuries. By looking into the historical process of rationalization in the Prussian administration, we explore the important role of Pietist ethics in the rise and fall of the spirit of the Prussian bureaucracy. The study offers an analysis of how Pietism shaped the Prussian bureaucracy through its religious doctrines of "emotion", "worldliness", and "authority". In so doing, the paper touches upon a topic that is not addressed by Weber in his theory of bureaucracy. Finally, we discuss the differences between the spirit of bureaucracy and the spirit of capitalism, and the possible interactions between the two processes, and propose the possibility of exploring the interplay between rationalization processes in different social domains for future research. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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Robinson Crusoe’s Trade and Labour: Daniel Defoe’s Critique of Political Economy of Maritime Empires KANG Zixing Chinese Journal of Sociology    2022, 42 (2): 29-59.   Abstract （3857）   HTML （69）    PDF（pc） （3633KB）（615）       Knowledge map    Save From the perspective of social theory, Daniel Defoe's Novel Robinson Crusoe is a fable of importance. The tale of Robinson Crusoe is a product not just of the European social transformation but also of the expansion of western civilization. In Defoe's view, fiction was a special kind of historical writing. In Robinson Crusoe, he expressed his thoughts on the social and political order of his time. Through Robinson's adventure, Defoe exposed the enslavement of colonies by European countries, and criticised the injustice of maritime empires at their foundation. In the desert island, Robinson used his hands to meet his own needs, creat wealth and restore the civilisation. The Robison in island was a metaphor that presented the natural laws of production and order, and demonstrated the natural foundation of wealth and civilisation. For Defoe,wealth and civilisation were rooted in natural reason and human labor. More importantly, through Robinson's interaction with Friday, Defoe allowed the readers to see the noble nature of "barbarians". By searching for the origins of civilisation and barbarism, Defoe removed their opposition and placed them in a continuous and unified historical process. The distinction between literary and wild could only reflect the difference between production techniques and customs. Civilised and barbarous society shared the same human foundations and moral laws. A unified system of political economy, which conforms to the laws of natural justice and involves different traditions of civilisation, can lay its foundation on the common human nature. In Defoe's view of history, we can find a dialectic of nature and civilisation, according to which, different civilisations and traditions can communicate and cooperate with each other. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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“Melancholic Children”: Does Cram School Participation Lead to Negative Emotions? Causal Inference Based on Chinese Education Panel Survey (CEPS) Data LI Shiyuan, LIU Aiyu Chinese Journal of Sociology    2022, 42 (2): 60-93.   Abstract （4631）   HTML （208）    PDF（pc） （3294KB）（1446）       Knowledge map    Save This study focuses on the causal relationship between middle school students'participation in cram school and their emotional well-being. Our analysis is based on Chinese Education Panel Survey data (CEPS 2013-2015). We construct instrumental variables and introduce lagged variables to mitigate possible endogeneity problems. The major findings are as follows:Firstly,the participation of socio-economically disadvantaged students in cram school has significantly exacerbated their negative emotions. Students with advantaged family socioeconomic status (SES) have shown better ability in emotional regulation,and they are more likely to be psychologically immune to specific negative emotions. Secondly,we explore the class heterogeneity in the aspect of emotional regulation ability. Specifically,we propose a preliminary theoretical framework based on typology of parenting styles and related empirical findings. We speculate that parents from different social background may respond differently to their children's negative emotions,while there may also be intergroup differences in children's own emotional regulation ability. Empirically,we examine the class differences in the performance of emotional regulation of the students in cram school,and apply the counterfactual simulation approach to further illustrate the association between the group difference in emotional regulation and the group heterogeneity of the depressive effects from cram school participation. The finding provides supportive evidences for our theoretical framework. In sum,our study is helpful to better understand the implication of emotional health inequality that may derive from the shadow education system. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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Marketization of Educational Resources and Individual Choice: A Study of Heterogeneous Treatment Effect of Private Tutoring in Middle Schools LI Angran Chinese Journal of Sociology    2022, 42 (2): 94-125.   Abstract （3865）   HTML （104）    PDF（pc） （3123KB）（846）       Knowledge map    Save In recent decades, with the rapid marketization of educational resources in K-12 education, private tutoring has become widely popular in China, Yet, previous research has not reached a consensus on the impact of private tutoring on academic outcomes, and has also overlooked the influence of individuals' choice under Chinese exam-oriented educational system. By using data from the China Education Panel Study (CFPS), this study examines the heterogeneous treatment effects of private tutoring on eighth graders' academic performance from the perspective of individual choices. The results show that propensities to participate in private tutoring can differentiate the class disparities among middle school students in terms of their individual, family, school and other parenting factors. Furthermore, the results indicate that private tutoring on average has limited impacts on academic achievement, net of all background factors. However, students whose propensities to participate in private tutoring is in the middle range tend to benefit the most from private tutoring. For both the students of socioeconomically disadvantaged families with low propensities and their advantaged counterparts with high propensities, private tutoring has little effect on their academic performance. Sensitivity analysis further shows that the heterogeneous effects of private tutoring differ in cognitive ability, subject types, and tutoring periods. The finding carries out important implications for understanding the consequences of China's policy interventions in reducing educational inequality. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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Psychoanalysis and War Experience：War as the Main Thread of Introductory Lectures on Psycho-Analysis ZHANG Weizhuo Chinese Journal of Sociology    2022, 42 (2): 126-150.   Abstract （3495）   HTML （48）    PDF（pc） （3096KB）（502）       Knowledge map    Save The revolutionary significance of psychoanalysis in the history of thought is closely related to its understanding of war experience. Since the end of the 19th century, war has been part of historical constants that defines the overall experience of modern people. Sigmund Freud's Introductory Lectures on Psycho-Analysis during the WW II serves as a core interpretive text for us to understand his theoretical system from the WW II experience. Introductory Lectures provides us with a systematic account of the early achievements of the psychoanalysis movement as well as some embryonic ideas of Freud's later psychoanalytic theory. More importantly, the War constitutes the main thread of Introductory Lectures' vision and theoretical development. War experiences seem to rekindle the ideological origin of psychoanalysis and force the author to explore the deeper world of human nature. This study focuses on Freud's idea of war and the general experience of modern people. Taking Introductory Lectures on Psycho-Analysis as the core text, combined with Freud's other major works in his early and late stages, the paper attempts to answer the following three questions:First, what kind of human primitive experience can be restored by psychoanalysis as philosophy or "the first philosophy" in the perspective of war? Second, what does psychoanalysis as sociology reveal about the everyday state of human beings? Third, when psychoanalysis as a "re-education" theory intervenes in daily experience, what difficulties will it encounter, and what kind of educational art will it develop? In Freud's thought, psychoanalysis as the first philosophy exposes the conflicting self with various intentions in the state of war, and gradually reveals the self's Eros and the instinct of death. On this basis, psychoanalysis as sociology presents the face of war in daily life and its essence of entanglement and conflict between human erotic instinct and death instinct. Finally, psychoanalysis as a new educational theory helps guiding Eros and restraining death instinct by pointing out the limits, conditions and future hopes of modern education. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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“Intoxication” or “Sobriety”: A Research on Walter Benjamin’s Exploration of Art Criticism in Jena Romanticism ZHANG Yuqing Chinese Journal of Sociology    2022, 42 (2): 151-178.   Abstract （3459）   HTML （43）    PDF（pc） （3010KB）（317）       Knowledge map    Save At the end of the 19th century, the tension between rationality and irrationality constituted the spiritual climate of Germany. On the one hand, more profit and higher efficiency, regarded as "progress" of individuality and society, had created a more prosperous material world but failed to provide population with inner peace and satisfaction. On the other hand, in order to fight against the boredom of the material civilisation, the youth indulged in subjective fantasy and particular experiences in the name of "Romanticism". It allowed people to temporarily escape from the problems of excessive rationalisation but couldn't help them achieve true redemption of the soul. It is in this context that Benjamin carried out his early representative work The Concept of Criticism in German Romanticism and other contemporaneous studies on Romanticism. In these works, Benjamin clarified the core spirit of Romanticism, especially Jena Romanticism based on their concept of "criticism". He pointed out the ethos of Romanticism was not about being intoxicated and fanatical, but calm and sober. Rather than subjective fantasies, it pursued objective truth through serious contemplation, and rather than narrow particularities, it concerned with the history of human spirit as a whole. Benjamin's discussion on art criticism and the sober character of Romanticism sheds a light on the relationship between literature, history and truth, as well as the effective ways to deal with the crisis of modernity. In addition, through the elaboration of Adorno and others, this discussion has had a profound impact on the Frankfurt school and even on the critical theory in Europe as a whole. Benjamin's work transcends the category of art, and echoes the social reality of Germany at the turn of the century, shares the common vision of German social theory. Therefore, for the purpose of understanding the value of Romanticism and Benjamin's contribution to social theory, this paper builds its discussion by focusing on the concept of "criticism". Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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The Mystery of Life and Transcendence of Society: The Ineffable Pain, Imagination, and Spirits for Public Opinions among the Ethnic Jingpo in Southwest China ZHANG Wenyi Chinese Journal of Sociology    2022, 42 (2): 179-208.   Abstract （3634）   HTML （63）    PDF（pc） （3328KB）（615）       Knowledge map    Save This paper discusses several events that have shaped the lives and communities of the Jingpo people in Southwest China since the 21st century. While a single event has its own logics as a result of subjective choices and social forces, but being placed side by side with life time events and social history, it can appear anonymous and irrelevant. Anonymity refers to the unspeakable pain, inexplicable sentimentality and nostalgia, not in words, but in tones and eyes, and in the atmosphere and temperament of the entire community. Anonymity is manifested as a new disease that is incurable and has not yet been named. Disconnection stems from the breakdown of the relationship between man and land, from the increasingly dysfunctional marriage system and dissipation of the moral world. The old gods left but the new ones have not yet arrived. People are dominated by desires but unable to fulfil them. This "nothingness" brings confusion and decadence of the people, and anxiety of the community. The handling of "nothingness" reflects the transcendence of society and the mystery of life, underscoring a period when the old structure is disappearing and the new one is slowly burgeoning. It is a time that people are subjected to moral suspension. Thus, to understand the flow of events and erratic life experience, we need to ground ourselves on a structural-functional way of thinking, however, no less importantly, we also need to investigate the entanglement between people's desires, feelings, effects, motivations and their societal surroundings. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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Parental Educational Assortative Mating and Children’s Academic Performance LI Anqi Chinese Journal of Sociology    2022, 42 (2): 209-242.   Abstract （4312）   HTML （167）    PDF（pc） （2888KB）（1056）       Knowledge map    Save Compared with those from homogeneous marriages with lower parental education level,children from hypergamy marriages or homogeneous marriages with high-level education perform much better academically. Children from families of hypergamy marriage also tend to outperform those from hypogamy marriage families. There is also a diverging gap effect in educational assortative mating-the wider the marital educational gap,the better academic performance for the children from hypergamy marriage but the worse for the children from hypogamy marriage. Further more,the study finds that the level of parental unity plays a partial mediating role on the impact of marital education matching on children's academic performance. Among them,parent-child communication is the most effective way to activate family cultural capital. Parents from homogeneous marriage with high educational level are the ones who devote the most time in their children's upbringing and enjoy a closer parent-child relationship. However,in hypergamy,father and mother tend to form a complementary relationship in the division of parenting to improve the level of "co-parenting alliance" and the "new type of family cultural capital" can be activated more effectively to promote children academic performance. Even though educational assortative mating has become a "breeding ground" for inequality reproduction,a high level of "co-parenting alliance"may help slow down the transmission of intergenerational inequality. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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Folklore, Fengshui, and the Making of a Multi-Ethnic Lineage：The Evolution and Social Process of "Ji's Domesticated Dragon Story" in Liuzhou ZHANG Jianghua Chinese Journal of Sociology    2022, 42 (3): 1-30.   Abstract （3556）   HTML （362）    PDF（pc） （3524KB）（638）       Knowledge map    Save This paper traces the evolutionary context of the legendary story of "Ji Domesticated Dragon" in Liuzhou, Guangxi, and discusses the familial practices of Ji clan that lived in the interior frontier region during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Through various historical materials such as official records, gazetteer, inscriptions, and family genealogies, this study first examines the folklore of Ji ancestors taming a crocodile to be raised as a pet, a myth that represents the process of Ji clan rising from a chieftain family to an imperial examination pedigree. Further more, it discusses how Ji family compiled the legend of "domesticated dragon" into a family myth in the event of a crisis, and through this myth new "fengshui" was recreated to strengthen the family's status. These efforts eventually led to the formation of a multi-ethnic clan organisation in Liuzhou. The paper argues that the traditional dynastic state had developed a set of sophisticated "civilization engineering" techniques in the frontier areas. The key point of the techniques is to establish a local social space with a hierarchical structure of "barbarians"-"registered villages"-"districts and prefectures", matched with a social value system and ideology from barbarism to civilization. In Guangxi, this kind of social space provided a dynamic activity sphere for social groups such as family and lineage. It is the combination of the desire and pursuit of this value system by families and clans and the exertion of clans as a social self-organization among all social strata and ethnic groups in interaction and communication, that facilitated the integration of the interior frontiers into the national system, thus integrating the ethnic minorities into the community of the Chinese nation. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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Beyond the House: The Political Logic and Social Life behind the House Name System in Gyalrong Tibetan Area SU Wan Chinese Journal of Sociology    2022, 42 (3): 31-61.   Abstract （3199）   HTML （51）    PDF（pc） （3441KB）（508）       Knowledge map    Save The house names in Gyalrong Tibetan area perform a social function similar to that of surnames in distinguishing people with the same names. Unlike Chinese surnames, house names reflect the specific connection between people and specific houses rather than their specific patrilineal ancestors. Behind the apparent local appearance presented by the naming rule and the semantic association between house names is the political management technique of the feudal superior ("Tusi"). The house name system distributes the mandatory obligation of grain tax and drafted labor within house units. This grants each household incomplete right that combined subsistence needs and the symbolic capital. The house name system also designates subordinate people to a specific community, land, and house for the political purpose of "separate and rule". In this respect, the house name system acts like a local domicile system ("Hukou") originated from the feudal hierarchical society ruled by the chieftain "Tusi". However, on the other hand, the assemblage of blood-relations across house units retains the "pre-feudal" tradition of mutual assistance in Maine's sense, allowing the practice of marriage and succession from one generation to the next to potentially converge the divisions exacerbated by chieftains, so that the family can achieve old-age support and young-age dependence through mutual assistance. Following the rules of obtaining and changing of the house name is to a large extent the habit of participating in the construction of political norms under the feudal hierarchy. Therefore, the house name system is neither a continuous replication of the "ideal model" of the kinship system, nor does it necessarily cause complete destruction of the kinship system, but makes a great use of the customs based on the principle of cognatic descent succession and "no marriage in the same house", to serve the political purpose of controlling the migration of the population, managing grain taxation and military forces. The dialectical tension intertwining the two forces of political-governance logic and kinship-mutuality practices around the house can provide us with a new perspective for understanding the relationship between people and their houses. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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"Grandchildren Are Superior to Grandparents"：Intergenerational Relationship and Its Expanded Patrilineal World among the Akha People WANG Ruijing Chinese Journal of Sociology    2022, 42 (3): 62-91.   Abstract （3128）   HTML （39）    PDF（pc） （2873KB）（302）       Knowledge map    Save This study examines the hierarchical ideas, relations and practices demonstrated by the relationship between grandparents and grandchildren among the Akha families to reveal the ways and process of social construction. It points out that the Akha patrilineal family emphasises the two-way hierarchical structure of "elderly's priority" and "grandchildren's superiority" under the concept of good fortune and family continuity. The elderly, for being the foundation of bringing up the offsprings, command special respect and status. The grandchildren, for carrying on the family line, define the blessed status of the elderly. Through ancestor worship in praying and healing rituals, the young generation with their new life and vitality bring strength and longevity to the old generation. Therefore, they deserve to be superior to the elderly. This model of mutual hierarchy is epitomized in the so-called "shuanxianli" (thread-tie) ceremonial ritual hosted by grandchildren for their grandparents. This gift- giving ceremony can only be done with the understanding that both the giver and receiver are superior on their own rights. The elderly is at the top of the hierarchy to receive the "gift". And the grandchild is the only person in the hierarchy who can bless the elderly with this life "thread". Such a framework of the mutual superiority between grandchildren and grandparents expands itself from families, kinships and villages, and ultimately constructs a broader hierarchical social world. Multiple hierarchical differentiations, like generation, gender, habitation, consanguinity and affinity, etc., are interacting in this ritual process. Male is taken superior to female among the same generation, yet female is in higher position than male across generations, such as granddaughter is superior to grandfather. Consanguinity is more important than affinity, and fellow villagers have closer relationship with each other than with those from outside the village. This not only reflects the different significance of male/female offspring and affinity for family continuity, but also expresses the spirit of mutual assistance, solidarity and integration within the multi-surname village communities. This paper contributes to the discussion on hierarchy, gift exchange and family. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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Redemption and Transformation of "Cursed Profession"：Mei Lanfang's Journey to the United States at the Intersection of Old and New PAN Tong Chinese Journal of Sociology    2022, 42 (3): 92-124.   Abstract （3031）   HTML （27）    PDF（pc） （3804KB）（303）       Knowledge map    Save The special historical background of modern China made the modern construction of traditional art embark on a different path from that of the West. Through a careful examination of the preparatory process of Mei Lanfang's performance tour to the United States in 1930, this paper concluded that, unlike modern Western art, which had to confront the impact of rationalization and marketization after breaking away from religious and political dependence, Peking Opera, as traditional leisure entertainment, is influenced by Western artistic trends and thus shows the development orientation of actively pursuing "instrumentalization" and "de-cmmodification". At the same time, as an unintended consequence of the "National Opera Movement", Peking Opera became China's "National Opera", shouldering the historical mission of carrying forward traditional culture, a mission that was accomplished by adapting Western modern artistic concepts to traditional Peking Opera. Through examples of modern intellectual such as Qi Rushan and his transformative influence on Mei Lanfang and Peking Opera, this study illustrated how modern intellectuals as the main force of this change used the innovative concept of "combining Chinese and Western, integrating ancient and modern" to make art a popular fashion across classes and countries, and to transform traditional art with the lofty ideal of "saving the nation and promoting the glory of the country". In turn, Peking Opera has found a realistic balance between "art for art's sake" and "art for society's sake", and has become a popular art form enjoyed by different classes and is simultaneously international and national. The reform history of Modern Peking Opera provides guidance for us to explore the direction of "cultural consciousness" today. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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The Moral (Bio) Politics of the Abnormal：Situating a Southwest China Border Town in the Global AIDS Governance FANG Hongxin Chinese Journal of Sociology    2022, 42 (3): 125-158.   Abstract （3190）   HTML （58）    PDF（pc） （3630KB）（461）       Knowledge map    Save This paper analyses the interaction of the two models in the social process of global AIDS governance and explores the possibilities of social innovation of society in its response to risks. The two moral regimes coping with problematized situations in the contemporary world are conceptualized as "center" and "border" respectively. "center" promotes normative educational discourse in the name of defending society, reifying order and pursuing cost-effectiveness in actual operations. "border"undertakes exploratory social action guided by a specific idea of goodness. While the two approaches engage in continuous battles, integration and penetration between themselves, people living with HIV worldwide were first degraded into a separated biomedical pariah population, and then were brought under the strict medical regime of Highly Active Anti-Retroviral Therapy(HAART). This shift between abject exclusion and exceptional inclusion indicates the meta-structure of life governance in the contemporary world. China's border cities are key outposts of global AIDS governance that reflect how the institutional deployment of exclusion and inclusion extends from global to local. The "zuo aizibing"(doing AIDS projects) in Biancheng, a southwest China border town embodies typically as well as uniquely the complicated "center/border"entanglement. The "border" organised "infected peer groups" are embedded in the local official governance system, incarnating as "frontline foot soldiers" serving as the "center", facilitating a smoother integration of the city's HIV-positive people into the public health monitoring system, where they are disciplined to become docile medical subjects. The groups, in adaptable symbiosis with the normative deployment, have also been able to open up entirely new fields of social action on their own, allowing a humanitarian vision to be replayed, "translated" and implemented. Through the transmission of knowledge, affection and vitality, the groups have freed their HIV-positive peers, otherwise abandoned by normative logic, from stigmatization, from being limited by disease and treatment and to start the pursuit of new forms of life. As a global social experiment, the "border", as revealed by AIDS, has far-reaching implications for exploring the inclusive and open potential of society itself. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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Competition and Game：The Academic Returns and Mental Health Costs of Private Tutoring ZHANG Qian, GAO Yayi Chinese Journal of Sociology    2022, 42 (3): 159-194.   Abstract （3472）   HTML （112）    PDF（pc） （3145KB）（850）       Knowledge map    Save Given the fact of the fierce academic competition and gaming in China, we ask the question of whether the academic return of private tutoring comes at the expense of mental health. This topic involves the investigation and analysis of the dual effects of private tutoring. In this paper, an analytical framework is constructed through mathematical derivation and theoretical deduction, and a multi-layer linear model is applied to explore the influence of individual time input and the level of participation in private tutoring on students' academic performance and mental health. We further explore the trend of the dual effect of private tutoring when there are changes in the level of participation in after-school tutoring of the class. By using the China Education Panel Survey (CEPS) data in the years of 2014 and 2015, this study reaches a solid and consistent finding that although investing time in private tutoring can boost academic achievement, it has a significant negative impact on students' mental health. With the increase of average tutoring and participation level in the class, the positive effect of the time invested in after-school tutoring on academic performance continues to weaken while the negative impact on mental health is gradually enhanced. The main triggers for increasing mental health impact are the weakening of the social comparison effect as well as the enhancement of the role stress effect and the sleep deprivation effect. In conclusion, this study reveals a trend that in the context of intense academic competition and challenges, over the time the academic reward of private tutoring reduces while the mental health cost rises. This conclusion has important theoretical significance in promoting further research on the micro-gaming mechanism and heterogeneity models of private tutoring. At the same time, it also provides some insights for other countries on policies of how to understand and respond to the phenomenon of private tutoring. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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The Logical Power of Graphs：The Concept of Causal Graphs and Their Applications JU Guodong, CHEN Yunsong Chinese Journal of Sociology    2022, 42 (3): 195-221.   Abstract （3425）   HTML （68）    PDF（pc） （2872KB）（843）       Knowledge map    Save Causal inference is a core problem in empirical research in the social sciences,but understanding the context of causal inference relies on algebraic derivation,a fact that hinders the prevalence of causal knowledge among sociologists. Causal graphs derived from computer science can intuitively present casual paths and control strategies in a graphical way,thereby providing people with a non-parametric toolkit for understanding causal problems. This paper aims to provide a comprehensive introduction to the causal graph method and integrate it with the existing framework of causal inference based on regression models. This article first introduces the conceptual rules and the three basic configurations of chain,fork,and inverted fork that make up causal graphs. Then,it discusses the opening and blocking of causal pathways between variables and the three sources of bias that can mislead the identification of true causal relationships,namely confounding bias,over-control bias and endogenous selection bias. The article further introduces the D-separation rule used to determine which variables in a causal inference should be controlled. On this basis,various empirical examples are brought in to interpret four endogenous problems of omitting variable bias, sample selection bias,self-selection bias,and simultaneity bias through causal graphs. Graphic expressions and implementing conditions of several causal inference methods are also identified,including multiple regression and matching,proxy,experiments, instrumental variable,and panel models. In addition,this article attempts to clarify two common misconceptions in causal inference:conditioning on a post-treatment variable does not necessarily lead to bias and conditioning on a pre-treatment variable may cause deviation. Finally,it is suggested that the application of the causal graph method can help standardise causality research and facilitate the teaching and dissemination of causal inference knowledge. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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Influencing Factors on Adolescent Peer Acceptance XIE Guihua, ZHANG Xian, SUN Jiaqi Chinese Journal of Sociology    2022, 42 (3): 222-241.   Abstract （3582）   HTML （113）    PDF（pc） （1622KB）（968）       Knowledge map    Save Peer relationship is essential for the healthy growth of adolescents. Positive peer relationships serve as fundamental support for adolescents to successfully pass through puberty,while negative peer relationships such as rejection and bullying may increase the risk of depression and hinder cognitive development. The formation of adolescent peer relationships and the role of family socioeconomic status in this process are important for understanding educational inequality and intergenerational mobility. This paper examines the impact of family socioeconomic status on adolescent peer acceptance from the perspective of social stratification and explores its mediating mechanism,and discuss whether the mediation mechanism is differentiated among groups of different social classes. The data used in this paper is from China Education Panel Study (CEPS) for the school year of 2013 -2014. This study finds: (1) socioeconomic status has positive effects on adolescent peer acceptance,students whose parents have college education and above enjoy significant higher peer acceptance than those whose parents have high-school or below educational level;and (2) positive traits at individual-level,such as higher academic performance,self-efficacy,and sports hobbies,have a significant positive impact on peer acceptance,while art hobbies do not. Among them,only cognitive ability (academic performance) has slight mediating effect that transfers part of socioeconomic effect to adolescent peer acceptance. These findings show that in the context of Chinese middle schools,parental involvement in children's peer network is relatively low,possibly indicating that the inequality of family socioeconomic status is not passed on to classmate relationships. However,it may also mean that we have not yet found the real mechanism between family socioeconomic status and adolescent peer relationships,and further exploration is needed. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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Adventure and Modernity:The Core of Adventure and Its Modernity Implication in Simmel's Thoughts PAN Lixia Chinese Journal of Sociology    2022, 42 (4): 1-30.   Abstract （930）   HTML （227）    PDF（pc） （3050KB）（410）       Knowledge map    Save For too long,the theme of adventure in Simmel's writings has not received enough attention.Simmel defines adventure primarily from the formal level,emphasising the basic characteristics of adventure that dramatically leaps out of life and eventually returns to life.From this definition of adventure,Simmel's cultural philosophy and philosophy of life have a distinct sense of adventure.Simmel's so-called culture is actually an adventure of spiritual life.Spiritual life produces its own form of objects that is self-contained,leaping out of the flow of life.However,the development of the objects may promote the perfection of spiritual life and the reintegration between the objects and spiritual life.Starting from itself and returning to itself,the spiritual life thus realizes its cultural path.The aggravation of cultural tragedy in modern society may cause the objective forms that have detached from the flow of spiritual life to exist completely independently of spiritual life and unable to return to the stream of life,thus interrupting the adventure of spiritual life.Simmel solved this dilemma by turning to the concept of absolute life in his late time.The essence of absolute life is self-transcendence.The contradiction between relative life and form is precisely the way absolute life exists,constantly generating contradictions and constantly breaking the existing boundaries to return to the unity of life,so that life is renewed to a more abundant state.In this way,the adventure of life will no longer be blocked.The essence and existential mode of absolute life of self-transcendence is in fact a continuous adventure.Simmel's approach to research and lifestyle is equally adventurous.This adventurous core in Simmel's thought and his life picture makes him the first theorist of modernity in the Baudelaire's sense and the enlightener with the attitude of modernity in the Foucault's sense. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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Lévi-Strauss'Maison as an Institution:A Reappraisal and Redirection CHEN Bo Chinese Journal of Sociology    2022, 42 (4): 31-73.   Abstract （872）   HTML （31）    PDF（pc） （4620KB）（640）       Knowledge map    Save This paper is divided into nine parts.After briefly reviewing the relevant academic research in Chinese writing,as well as the static stereotypes held by the Chinese and foreign academic circles on Lévi-Strauss'structuralism,the first part of the paper discusses the background of the concept of maison proposed by Lévi-Strauss in the study of kinship system,that is,the shared attention,exploration and theoretical reflection in the West over the widely existed non-matriarchal-non-patrilineal heirs/succession phenomenon in the world.The second part examines Lévi-Strauss'thoughts on the basic as well as complex structure of kinship system in his The Elementary Structures of Kinship (1949),revealing that his ideas about maison had already appeared amongst his writing,especially about the various "deviations" of the basic structure of kinship caused by political-economic interests.The third part introduces the formulation of the concept of maison and its Chinese translation.The fourth part discusses the misinterpretation in English language of Lévi-Strauss'phrase"société à maisons,"and how from it the Chinese translation "家屋社会" was derived.It suggests that "maison" should be understood and translated as "家产亲属制" in Chinese.The fifth part presents a translation of the critical term of "personne morale" in Lévi-Strauss'definition of maison as "合众体" in Chinese,the way it should be interpreted for it is the key to the concept of maison and the starting point for further studies of the maison in stitution.In view of the widely accepted misinterpretation of maison among mainstream Chinese and Western scholars,the sixth part re-examines Lévi-Strauss'basic research on the kinship system and his breakthrough contribution to the theory.The seventh part examines the four scholarly traditions that were impacted by Lévi-Strauss'maison,namely the French school,the Austronesian school led by the Dutch structuralist van Wouden,and the Anglo-American postmodern school promoted by British and American anthropologists out of their dissatisfaction with the French school,and the American archaeologic school.The eighth part introduces author's own follow-up study on how to use the concept of maison to re-examine Chinese history and practices in various locations,with personne morale as the key analytic notion.The last part is a concluding remark that summarises the significant contribution of maison to Lévi-Strauss'structuralism and its future implications. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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The Making of Social Individuals:John Dewey's Child Study and its Meanings for Social Theory YANG Yong, XIAO Yonghong Chinese Journal of Sociology    2022, 42 (4): 74-103.   Abstract （845）   HTML （34）    PDF（pc） （3204KB）（268）       Knowledge map    Save This paper focuses on Dewey's action education based on his study of children to showcase the concrete understanding of individualism in American pragmatism.Among the many social problems encountered in the American Gilded Age,the isolated individualism most epitomises the action dilemma of modern Americans,exacerbating the moral crisis and social divide of American society.The primary goal of Dewey's child research and progressive education reform at that time was to better understand the action structure and personality form of modern individuals,so as to overcome the action problem caused by isolated individualism.Dewey first classified "children" in the educational sense into four stages of development:early infancy,late infancy,childhood,and adolescence.By using the action mechanism of "stimulus-response",Dewey hoped to combine natural forces and social consciousness at the same time,and ultimately shape a "social individual" in the process of action education.The social individual is represented as a complete state of action,which on the one hand retains the sacredness derived from the nature,and on the other hand continuously absorbs the civilizational traditions from society.Dewey believed that only such a modern individual with full action power could truly cope with the challenges of the modern world in terms of both human mind and society.By transforming isolated individuals into social individuals,Dewey attempted to find answers to the social problems of the Gilded Age through educational reforms.Moreover,the theoretical conception of "social individual" and the corresponding educational practices also profoundly influenced the theoretical development and empirical research orientation of the early American sociology.This study helps us further understand the early ideological foundation of American sociology and reflect on our current situation. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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Experiencing Authenticity:The Sociability and Double Life of Migrant Youth in Beijing ZHOU Zepeng, XIAO Suowei Chinese Journal of Sociology    2022, 42 (4): 104-133.   Abstract （1057）   HTML （66）    PDF（pc） （3529KB）（565）       Knowledge map    Save Youth space,a public space established by urban youth to facilitate conversations and spiritual exchanges,has proliferated in China since 2012.Through the participatory observation of Youth Space A and in-depth interviews with 20 participants,this article examines the double life experienced by middle-class migrant youth in Beijing under the institutionalized individualization.It argues that the highly competitive institutional environment,with the labor market as its core,has systematically pressured the migrant youth into a utilitarian institutionalized life model.Under the circumstance,young migrants,on the one hand,are"striving individuals "in order to adapt;on the other hand,they are deeply suspicious and despondent,struggling between institutional dependency and the need for autonomy.Constructing social interaction in youth space becomes their way of exploring their" authentic selves ".In Youth Space A,migrant youths build transient" pure relationships "between strangers and participate in public life through noncompetitive relations and highly spiritual conversations over topics on daily life reflections,intellectual engagement,and public concerns.In so doing,they constitute an" authentic self "that enables them to reveal their true inner selves and resist social constrains.However,the sociability in the youth space is set upon the premise of" anti-daily-life"that precludes its integration into everyday action,and is thus incapable of changing the established structure of daily life.In fact,to certain degree,it is confined by the logic of institutionalized life such as utility and instrumentality,thus reducing the self authenticity to a tangled,fragile,and place-specific experience for migrant youth.This study reflects on the utilitarian-oriented paradigm o "f striving individual" in the discussion of the individualization of the Chinese society,and of the Chinese youth in particular.It helps to the understanding of the dual connotation of institutionalized individualization.In addition,by analyzing the relationship between public life and the authentic self,it sheds light on the issue of the publicity dilemma and its Chinese specificity in the process of individualization. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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Involuntary Memory:Proust's Thought on the Sociality of Individual Memory LIU Yaqiu Chinese Journal of Sociology    2022, 42 (4): 134-160.   Abstract （807）   HTML （27）    PDF（pc） （2722KB）（197）       Knowledge map    Save The purpose of this paper is to discuss the sociality of Proust's individual memory focusing on "involuntary memory" ,as well as his theory on the relationship between society and individuals and its implications for sociological paradigms. "Sociality" comes from the perspective provided by Halbwach's theory of collective memory,a dimension that is also included in Proust's theory of memory,reflected typically in Proust's recollection of his grandmother.But Proust's memory theory does not stop there.This is manifested in the fact that under the tradition of Durkheim,Halbwach's theory of memory cannot describe in depth the process of how individuals create society.Nevertheless,the social image presented in Proust's memory theory is a blending of society and individual,including not just the duality of social restriction and guidance,but also the active adaptation and creation of individuals.This means that society is inherent in the individual,and the individual is not a purely psychological entity.The creation of the individual is inseparable from the social environment.From this standpoint of subject-object fusion,we can regard Proust's social image not just as duality but with multiple or even infinite possibilities.Society is a product materialised in the process of individual creation.In this process,society presents a rich image,and the infinite possibilities of society are contained in the process of individual creation.In Proust's theory of "involuntary memory",lifeness and sociality are two dimensions that exist at the same time,however,in any case,lifeness is the fundamental and it is Proust's first trust.He trusts more emotion and impression.Proust explains what "life essentials" are and how to be"life essentials"from the perspective of memory.In contrast,Halbwach takes sociality as his focus,arguing that individual memories with great life significance are constructed and determined by society. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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Marketization Reform and Corruption:An Empirical Analysis Based on Micro-case Data CHEN Shuo Chinese Journal of Sociology    2022, 42 (4): 161-182.   Abstract （958）   HTML （52）    PDF（pc） （2581KB）（521）       Knowledge map    Save Corruption not only hinders economic development but also jeopardises the quality of government governance.The literature on corruption of countries in transition argues that the lack of market competition is an important cause of frequent corruption,which means that market-oriented reforms and the role of the market rather the power in resource allocation can curb corruption to a great extent.However,since the market reform in China,corruption has shown an upward tendency.This has led the public as well as some scholars believe that marketization is the cause of corruption and thus question its legitimacy.Based on the examination of 3 843 corruption cases from 1993 to 2013,this paper concludes that half-hearted incomplete market reforms not only increase the probability but also the severity of corruption.However,once the reform programs ended,the corruption activities were also significantly reduced.A series of heterogeneity and placebo tests provide further support to this conclusion.The above findings imply that the institutional root of corruption in the process of marketisation lies in incomplete or half-hearted reforms rather than marketisation itself.Therefore,only by adhering to market-oriented reforms can we gradually eliminate the ground for rent-seeking and thus effectively curb corruption.The conclusion of this paper provides an empirical basis for the connection between deepening marketization reforms and the anti-corruption struggle since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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Who Dominates?Multiple Constructions of Women's Subjective Class Identity and Their Cohort Dynamics in Transitional China WANG Peng, GAN Yiqing Chinese Journal of Sociology    2022, 42 (4): 183-213.   Abstract （1052）   HTML （67）    PDF（pc） （3417KB）（527）       Knowledge map    Save How women construct their subjective class identity has attracted extensive attention.However,the discussion of the multiple constructed model of women's class identity in existing studies lacks of depth,nor is there an analysis of the generational changes of the model.This study aims to answer two important questions against the backdrop of a society in transition:first,which is the most dominant factor in shaping married women's subjective class identity,the class of their own,their husbands',or their fathers'?Answers to this question reveal the impacts of assortative mating and intergenerational mobility.Second,how does the multiple construction pattern change across birth cohorts?The cohort dynamics help reflect the evolution of gender roles and family values in China.Using the pooled data from the Chinese General Social Survey in 2010-2017 and the Diagonal Reference Models,our study finds that in general Chinese married women tend to construct their own class identity based on the objective class of their husbands,but this trend is reversed in the younger cohorts.Fathers'objective class status carries roughly the same weight as women's own,but its impact becomes moderately stronger in younger cohorts.Taken together,the above findings reveal a special pathway of family modernization in transitional China,that is,married women,although increasingly independent of their spouses,still maintain closely connected with their natal families. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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Modern Transition of Traditional Township Covenants ("Xiang Yue"):A Study of Yang Kaidao's Thoughts of "Xiang Yue" and Autonomy DI Jinhua, HOU Dongyi Chinese Journal of Sociology    2022, 42 (4): 214-242.   Abstract （889）   HTML （50）    PDF（pc） （2995KB）（458）       Knowledge map    Save During the Republic of China,some Chinese sociologists began to shift to the"internal"perspective of history/tradition and internal structure after a period of studying Chinese society from the"external "perspective as its disciplinary approach.This" inward-turned "change makes it necessary for contemporary sociologists to reinterpret their research texts in conjunction with the social history in which these sociologists live.This paper takes Yang Kaidao's study of" Xiang Yue "(乡约) as the starting point to explore how he transformed traditional Chinese" Xiang Yue "culture into modern governance resources in response to the democratic demands of China in a period of modern transition.It divides the concept of" Xiang Yue"into two parts of "Xiang" (township) and "Yue" (covenants). "Xiang" can be understood as a governance unit,and "Yue" as governance rules.The evolutionary process of "Xiang" and "Yue" in Chinese history was examined as well as the practice of local autonomy during the time of the Republic of China since Yang hoped his research would provide guidance to such autonomy.It also analyzes Yang's thinking on the basic units and norms of local autonomy,and its ideological and social basis.Yang Kaidao advocated the spirit of democratic autonomy in the traditional "Xiang Yue",but he did not blindly exclude the role of official rule,instead he argued for its power to be used as an institutional guarantee.Even though the spirit of enlightenment contained in the traditional "Xiang Yue" can be seen as somewhat interconnected with the imported spirit of democratic autonomy,it is quite difficult to bridge the two in actuality because of the discrepancies between the"group views "of China and the West.Governance units should also be coordinated with historical traditions,local folk customs and governance tasks.In addition to institutional norms,the guiding role of political leaders is also indispensable in grass-roots governance.Through the analysis of Yang Kaidao's" Xiang Yue,"this paper has explored a research path that integrates interpretation of academic history with the analysis of social history as a way to understand how an academic concept comes into existence. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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One Body and Many Faces: Reexamination of State-Society Relations in Imperial China ZHOU Li-an Chinese Journal of Sociology    2022, 42 (5): 1-36.   Abstract （2292）   HTML （409）    PDF（pc） （3895KB）（794）       Knowledge map    Save There are various theoretical characterizations of the state-society relationship of imperial China， such as “gentry autonomy”， “bureaucratic society”， “state-society cooperation”，“strong despotic power and weak infrastructural power”， and “centralized minimalism” and so on. This paper reexamines the key nature of state-society relations of imperial China from the viewpoint of the administrative subcontracting theory. Our analysis applies the key concept of “administrative outsourcing” that refers to the assignment of public affairs by the imperial state to social groups （e.g.， clans and guilds） or individuals （local gentry） outside the government system. In this administrative outsourcing process， the social groups or individuals certified as subcontractors enjoy certain privileges and honors， or even semi-public identities， but at the same time are subjected to government supervision and hierarchical control， which is different from market-based outsourcing. In contrast， internal administrative subcontracting involves the higher-level government assigning public affairs or other government targets to the lower-level government in a subcontracting way. This study focuses on the correspondence between the features of state governance in the domains such as resource extraction， regime stability maintenance， local public goods provision， and internal civil internal order （e.g.， clans and guilds）， and the specific modes of administrative outsourcing. By so doing， the underlying mechanism of state-society interactions in the Chinese imperial system is uncovered. We argue that the specific modes of administrative outsourcing are determined by tradeoffs between governance risks and administrative costs associated with specific governance domains as well as the fiscal constraints of the state. As a result of such tradeoffs， we have observed a spectrum of governance modes of administrative outsourcing varying in combinations of government control and civil autonomy across governance domains. For instance， in high governance risk domains such as resource extraction and social order maintenance （taxation and public security）， numerous local semi-public agents were designated as subcontractors under strong controls from the government. For the domain of local civil order with relatively low governance risk but potentially high administrative costs if the government would exercise direct controls， civic organizations such as clans， guilds， and merchant clubhouses were offered a high degree of autonomy over their internal affairs with only contingent interferences from the government. This paper suggests a new notion of “one body， many faces” to recapitulate the overall nature of the state-society relationship of imperial China， to offer a new analytical framework to reconcile diverse theoretical characterizations existing in literature， and to help understand the paradoxical combination of the unity of state power and the pluralism of state governance in the Chinese imperial system. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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Chieftain System and Frontier Peace: A Study on Choni Traditional Political Organization and Its Transformation Mechanism ZHANG Yahui Chinese Journal of Sociology    2022, 42 (5): 37-61.   Abstract （1612）   HTML （38）    PDF（pc） （2774KB）（288）       Knowledge map    Save The descendants of Tibetan Tubo loyal family in the pre-Hong period had largely left dbus gtsang areas by the time of the post-Hong period. Their aristocratic status often became the Charisma basis of the frontier chieftain system. Based on Gu Bao’s study of the Choni chieftain system， this paper offers a systematic analysis of power transition of Choni chieftain and its sociological mechanism. Xie Di， the first chieftain of Choni， relied on the power of witchcraft to obtain his throne， and through sacrifices to the local Mountain-God a myae brag dkar， gained the right to control the tribal warrior group. Choni chieftain system in this period was typical of the New-Age group of kingship. During the Kangxi Period of the Qing Dynasty， with the powerful legislative process of the central government in the frontier， Choni chieftain experienced a series of political and religious reforms such as the publication of the Tripitaka， thus turning its system to a more rational and judicial form of Old-Age group. After that， the chieftain consisted of patrimonialism and military fiefdoms. The former refers to the relationship between the chieftain and the twelve Zhang’ga （affiliated groups living in the county seat of Choni）， whereas the latter was the forty-eight highly autonomous military-production organizations named Qi. These two parts were linked together by means of the Qi electoral system. By comparing with other forms of kingships， this paper argues that it is insufficient to understand the kingship system just from tribal leaders and chiefs. The essence of the kingship lies in the encompassing of social diversity. The priest-based hierarchy and the judicial-based peace are the key to kingship. During the frontier peace movement in the Kangxi Period， Choni chieftain established a relatively complete hierarchical system by publishing the Tripitaka and expanding the diocese of Chanding monastery. However， it still failed to curb the tendency of the subordinate members to secede， and the judicial rulings of the central government were the fundamental basis for Choni chieftain to maintain power and status. Neither witchcraft nor judicial kingship could exercise full control of the warriors as kingship only a partial part of the political system. Lastly， this paper points out that， for any society， there are both the tendency of social integration and the tendency of secession by identity groups. It is the tension between these two tendencies that provides crucial evidences for scholars to understand social structure and its dynamics. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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Interest and Formation of Meaning in Action: A Reflection on John Dewey’s Educational Thoughts in the Light of Reflective Pragmatism WANG Liping, ZHAO Qichen Chinese Journal of Sociology    2022, 42 (5): 62-94.   Abstract （1878）   HTML （46）    PDF（pc） （3407KB）（567）       Knowledge map    Save John Dewey was the pioneer of the American progressive education movement， and his educational ideas shaped the direction and course of education in the United States in the twentieth century. His vigorous educational experiments at the University of Chicago coincided with Max Weber’s famous American trip in 1904. This paper aims to explain the core of Dewey’s educational theory—the concept of interest. Dewey’s view of interest took shape at the beginning of the prestigious Laboratory School he founded and it became a repeatedly visited major theme in his later years. The concept is the key to understand Dewey’s thought about the relationship between the individual， society, culture and civilization. Dewey’s view of interest includes three levels: the distinction between interest and pleasure， the relationship between interest and will in individual actions， and how interest unfolds in children’s daily tasks. Articulating these aspects helps us understand Dewey’s centrality to the progressive movement and pragmatist tradition. Dewey’s thought leads to a novel interpretation of “progress” in modern society， in which Dewey’s archetype-actor whose ultimate interest is to create the meaning of action rather than to preserve a given cultural value. This paper also places Dewey in the light of the critical observation of pragmatism by some prominent continental European social thinkers. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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Ethical Life without Virtue: Hegel on the Ideal of Modern Society CHEN Tao Chinese Journal of Sociology    2022, 42 (5): 95-123.   Abstract （1833）   HTML （55）    PDF（pc） （3057KB）（557）       Knowledge map    Save Hegel’s concept of “Sittlichkeit” can help us to clarify the ideal of modern society and the challenge it poses to traditional ethical practices. By comparing it with the ancient concept of “” （ethos）， we are able to see the dynamics and ideas of modern society. In Aristotle, “” constitutes a way of life that is constructed by means of customs， laws， and polity to shape human desires and appetites. Laws， institutions and customs are never self-sufficient and complete for the ethical space between natural virtues and intellectual virtues. They are fundamentally depended on human virtues. In contrast， in Hegel’s “Sittlichkeit”， modern ethical life is able to incorporate our various desires into system as “activities” by means of complete and rational laws and institutions. In principle， modern men do not need to be highly virtuous to pacify and transform their desires and win the recognition of others and freedom. By simply obeying laws and institutions， this could be achieved. However， while modern society can offer us economic， social and political independence and freedom， it cannot provide us with a place to live that is a truly comparable to a home. What we need to think is that whether we have other possibilities besides the rationalization and perfection of laws and institutions. For us， a nation with a strong ethical tradition， the future still depends on whether we can find and revive those ethical traits from our own tradition to steer rationalised laws and institutions to create a communal life worthy of desire. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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Wealth，Domination， and the State：Adam Smith on the Abolition of Slavery and the Foundations of Modern Liberty ZHU Huahui Chinese Journal of Sociology    2022, 42 (5): 124-151.   Abstract （1645）   HTML （32）    PDF（pc） （2989KB）（322）       Knowledge map    Save This article deals with Smith’s historical account of slavery. Although much scholarly attention has been paid in recent years to Smith’s judgement on the salutary effects of commerce on liberty and civilization, it has failed to address Smith’s account of the prevalence of social dependence in human societies， including the commercial society，while underestimating the intransigence of slavery and the contingent nature of modern European liberty. In Smith’s view，commerce could advance individual liberty and equality through the “descent of fortune”. By mitigating wealth gap and the monopoly of the means of subsistence， commerce could create important opportunities for the improvement of the living conditions of the lower ranks. Nevertheless， for Smith， social oppression has always been rooted in the human desire to dominate since the birth of government and has further evolved with the balance of property and power. By reconstructing Smith’s analysis of slavery， this paper shows that Smith believed that commerce alone could not achieve the universal revolution of violent passions in human nature and liberty could only be achieved by changing the distribution of wealth and political power. In ancient politics，commerce reinforced pre-existing slaveholding economy and social domination. However， in the fragmented political landscape of feudal Europe，commerce and luxury unintentionally contributed to the bankruptcy of feudal lords， which in turn led to the collapse of feudalism， the birth of absolutism and the abolition of slavery in a few regions. Equally important， however， is the fact that the vast rich feudal estates in other parts of Europe eased the financial crisis of the landowners， where commerce was unable to shake the balance of wealth and power， but instead reinforced social oppression once again. For Smith， only by delving into the role of commercial society in the change of political authority and observing the historical influence of commerce on the distribution of political power can we fully understand the prospect of the rule of law， justice， and freedom. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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Wrestling with Demons：Fin de Siècle in Ibsen’s Plays FU Chunhui Chinese Journal of Sociology    2022, 42 (5): 152-180.   Abstract （1700）   HTML （31）    PDF（pc） （3504KB）（286）       Knowledge map    Save This paper places Ibsen in the Nordic-Germanic thought tradition，and argues that “individuality” is the key to understand this tradition and Ibsen’s plays. European society at the end of the 19th century was far from being a world of “demon free”，instead，it even had irrational and anti-enlightenment overtones. Ibsen’s plays and Kierkegaard’s philosophical thoughts were intertextually related. They both opposed the established church，and believed that the prerequisite for religious faith in the strict sense is individuality. Brand was tantamount to a death sentence to all serious religions. Meanwhile，in Nietzsche’s view，Europe had entered “the era of the mob” and “individual” was in danger. In this context，many characters created by Ibsen had the characteristics of “Fin de siècle”，where decadence，boredom and nihility had become a common social state of mind. Freud had a profound insight into the dangers contained in this mentality. He believed that behind the collective psychology was the individual psychology at work，and the expansion of individuality would bring very serious social problems. For Freud，individuality tended to be restless，often turning into the most materialistic hedonism，but more often expressed in denial and destruction，even in violence and devastation. In Ibsen’s view，such social ills were not something that could solved by political means. What Ibsen’s plays present us is the paradox of “individuality” itself. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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Dialect Distance and Peer Effect of Crime among Urban Migrants：An Empirical Analysis Based on Guangzhou， Shenzhen， and Dongguan ZHANG Ping, XU Zhewei Chinese Journal of Sociology    2022, 42 (5): 181-206.   Abstract （2008）   HTML （111）    PDF（pc） （3133KB）（659）       Knowledge map    Save In the process of rapid urbanization， the unprecedented population movement brings about regional cultural collision, driving economic growth while profoundly affecting social harmony. Based on the public data of the China Judgments Online, the Dictionary of Chinese Dialects， and the 2017 China Migrants Dynamics Survey， this paper takes Guangzhou， Shenzhen， and Dongguan， three cities with a net inflow of over 10 million people， as examples for empirical analysis. By choosing dialect distance as a proxy variable of cultural differences， we investigate how it affects the hometown gang criminal behavior of the urban migrant population. The empirical results show that there is a significant positive correlation between dialect distance and hometown gang crime among the migrant population. For each additional unit of dialect distance， the likelihood of migrants choosing hometown fellows as accomplices in crime increases by 8.3%. Mechanism analysis shows that the peer effect formed by dialect distance is a main factor for the increase of gang crime among migrants. Under the same conditions， the greater the migration distance， the greater the cultural gap between the migrants and the local population. Specific to social networks， it is reflected that migrants tend to trust members of the hometown group rather than the locals， which leads relatively closed clusters of community， enforcing the peer effect and increasing the possibility of participating in gang crimes. From the perspective of dialect distance， this study quantifies the impact of cultural conflicts on the harmony and stability of urban society in the process of urbanization， enriches the theoretical exploration of culture influences on migrant crime and its governance， and has certain implications for promoting a new type of people-oriented urbanization. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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Intergenerational Network and Academic Achievement：A Dual Perspective of Network Context and Individual Initiative LI Liming, ZHANG Qian Chinese Journal of Sociology    2022, 42 (5): 207-240.   Abstract （1938）   HTML （90）    PDF（pc） （2985KB）（546）       Knowledge map    Save Given the cultural background and education system in China，we ask the question of how intergenerational networks affect children’s academic achievement. This topic involves a dual analysis and investigation of the macro and micro effects of intergenerational networks. In this study，an analytical framework is constructed through the dual perspectives of individual initiative and network context，and a multi-layer linear model is applied to explore the interpretation approach and mechanism of individual initiative and network context. We further explore the conditional effects of individual initiative variables based on network context，and then reveal the intrinsic correlation between the two explanatory paths. Using the China Educational Panel Survey （CEPS） data for the 2014-2015 school year，this study obtained the following findings：First，unlike the related findings abroad，this study finds that the intergenerational network macro and micro effects both exist in the Chinese context. Parental knowledge of other parents and network situational characteristics can both improve children’s academic achievement. This finding is closely related to China's Confucian cultural values and test-based education system. Second，as macro intergenerational network resources increase，the returns to academic achievement from individual initiative effects gradually increase. The factors that affect the enhancement of network resources are mainly derived from network norms and relational class status，while network density does not moderate the individual initiative effect. Third，the indirect mechanism of macro and micro intergenerational networks was further examined. To a certain extent，macro-micro intergenerational networks influence children’s academic output by affecting family and peer social capital，academic attitudes and behaviors. The above conclusions have important theoretical significance in advancing further research on the macro-and micro-effects and mechanism of intergenerational networks in the Chinese context，and the internal connections between macro- and micro-levels. At the same time，it also provides some theoretical support and empirical evidence for a series of policies over the construction of parent group networks. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics | Comments（0）

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