Table of Content

20 July 2015, Volume 35 Issue 4

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A Theory of Social Performance:Modeling Cultural Pragmatics between Ritual and Strategy

Jeffrey Charles Alexander

2015, 35(4):  1. 

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Abstract： From its very beginnings, the social study of culture has been polarized between structuralist theories that treat meaning as a text and investigate the patterning that provides relative autonomy and pragmatist theories that treat meaning as emerging from the contingencies of individual and collective action—socalled practices—and that analyze cultural patterns as reflections of power and material interest. In this article, I present a theory of cultural pragmatics that transcends this division, bringing meaning structures, contingency, power, and materiality together in a new way. My argument is that the materiality of practices should be replaced by the more multidimensional concept of performances. Drawing on the new field of performance studies, cultural pragmatics demonstrates how social performances, whether individual or collective, can be analogized systematically to theatrical ones. After defining the elements of social performance, I suggest that these elements have become “defused” as societies have become more complex. Performances are successful only insofar as they can “refuse” these increasingly disentangled elements. In a fused performance, audiences identify with actors, and cultural scripts achieve verisimilitude through effective miseenscène. Performances fail when this relinking process is incomplete: the elements of performance remain apart, and social action seems inauthentic and artificial, failing to persuade. Refusion, by contrast, allows actors to communicate the meanings of their actions successfully and thus to pursue their interests effectively.


A Structural Hermeneutics of Partisan Realism

Matthew Norton

2015, 35(4):  33. 

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


#br# The Gendered Metaphysics of Puritan Culture: Towards an Interpretive Explanation of the Salem Witch Trials

Isaac Reed

2015, 35(4):  73. 

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


The Ideas and Practices of “Yanching School” about Sociology of Knowledge: A Comparative Study on Wu Wenzao, Fei Xiaotong, and Li An-che#br#

YANG Qingmei

2015, 35(4):  103. 

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


“Folk Society” and Beyond: A Comparative Study of Fei Xiaotong and Robert Redfield’s Works on Civilization Studies#br#

ZHANG Jianghua

2015, 35(4):  134. 

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


Longstanding Cultural Impact on Population Migration in Chinese History#br#

LI Nan

2015, 35(4):  159. 

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Although social scientists and practitioners have long agreed that culture is an important determinant in the migration of populations, so far there has been no study, which provides empirical evidence of a causal relationship between culture and migration. Two things may have contributed to the lacking of empirical research on the subject. Culture is both a tangle and intangible concept, for which testable measures are difficult to design. Also, cultural change are incremental and subtle, and occur over a huge time. This makes it almost impossible to collect consistent historical data. In an attempt to overcome these shortcomings, this paper examines the impact of long term cultural change on interregional population migration by using generic distance from surnames as a measurable variable for cultural variation. The author compiled a database of the historical migration data in the last 1000 years. The finding indicates that the higher the cultural variation, the lower the migration activities. In other words, homogeneity of culture encourages migration while differences of cultures discourage migration. This finding stands the test of controlling variables such as socioeconomic and geographic elements. This study has established solid empirical evidence on the casual relation between culture and migration. Furthermore it contributes to the understanding of the characteristics and determinants of Chinese internal migration since the tenth century.


Keep Good Men Company: A Study on Transnational Social Capital Transfer of Expatriates Based on Social Network Analysis Model#br#

YANG Zhangbo, GAO Shanxing, LIU Xiaohua

2015, 35(4):  177. 

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Returning expatriates not only brought back to their native countries intellectual capital but also social capital. The transfer of academic social capital by expatriates give domestic scholars better access to foreign information, foster participation in the global academic community, and build confidence and academic reputation. But current research concerning the phenomenon of social capital transfer of expatriates is very limited.
This study proposes a crossborder social capital transfer model of expatraites by applying the theory of homophily, peer effects and group homogenization. An analysis of the data on transnational academic capital transfers, collected from the Network of Thousands of Academic Collaborators, a recruitment network of returning expatraites, shows that returnees are able to accumulate significantly more academic social capital in their postreturn career. Foreign academic social capital is transferred to the domestic academic community through a threeway triadic closure mechanism. The postreturn accumulated capital appears to be transferred with higher efficiency. With such capital transfers, returnees help break stagnation and trigger a cascade of innovation.
We propose a model as well as an analytic formula of transnational social capital transfer. We find that social capital transfer is a process, by which weak relations become strong and indirect contacts becomes direct contacts. Our research implies that crossborder social capital transfer happens when a scholar who possesses the homogenizing characters mediates between two heterogeneous groups and is able to bridge the differences. However once the transfer is completed, the mediator will lose his/her role, which leads to a decrease of clusters and an increase of cluster coefficient. Our study also examines the social impact of returning expatraites by means of quantitative methods. The paper recommends that in planning and modifying Chinese talent recruitment programs, the government should take into consideration the efficiency of social capital transfer.

Sons or Daughters? Who Are Caring for Aging Parents: A Gender Comparative Study of Chinese Family#br#

XU Qi

2015, 35(4):  199. 

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


On the Coefficients Comparison between Logistic Regressions and the Solutions： A Brief Review#br#

HONG Yanbi

2015, 35(4):  220. 

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This paper introduced the coefficients comparison between Logistic regression，which includes comparison between models within sample and that between samples or subsamples.Due to the unobserved heterogeneity (residual variation) problem in Logistic models，it is inappropriate to follow the OLS coefficients comparison in a naive simple way.With the same dependent variable，the total variance of OLS regression function is always fixed，which is irrelevant to the number of independent variables.However，the total variance of Logistic regression function will change as the independent variables increase or decrease，because the variance of error in Logistic regression is assumed to be constant，equals π2/3.Previous researchers proposed many solutions to this comparison problem.Based on the literature，this paper introduced five solutions：y*standardization，KHB decomposition，heterogeneous choice model，average partial effect (APE)，and linear probability model (LPM).Y*standardization and KHB only work in comparison between models within sample，heterogeneous choice model only works in comparison between samples or subsamples，and APE and LPM work in both situations.Drawing up on CGSS 2006 data，using educational transition model as an example，the author then showed the use and the differences between the five solutions through examining the cohort differences in school transition and whether the effects of parental ISEI differ in two cohorts’ school transition.The final part summarized the characteristics and contexts of the five solutions.