论区域社会史研究的理论与方法——山西明清社会史研究

On the Theory and Method of the Studies of Regional Social History

开展区域社会史研究是 2 0世纪 90年代以来中国社会史研究的重要趋势 ,已经引起了国内外学者的高度重视。相关理论尤其是国家与社会、大传统与小传统等在区域社会史研究中得到了广泛应用。作者认为 ,在方法论上 :应从整体史的角度出发 ,加强区域间的比较研究 ;要重视区域史的分期问题及其划分区域的客观标准 ;要加强地方文献的搜集整理工作 ,提倡史学工作者走出象牙塔 ,走向田野与社会。结合明清以来山西社会变迁的实际情况和特点 ,结合国内外学术发展前沿和主要趋向 ,作者提出今后山西区域社会史应当首先从“明清以来山西人口、资源、环境与社会变迁 ;晋商与山西地方社会 ;三晋文化与民俗 ;山西抗日根据地社会状况及其变迁”四个方面开展研究。

The study of regional social history is a focus of discussion since 1990s. The related theories, such as nation and society, national tradition and country tradition etc, have gotten extensive application in the study. It also puts forward something important in methodology. The article suggests strengthening the comparison between different regions from the view of overall history, paying more attention to the objective partitions between different regions, strengthening to collect and arrange the documents, and strengthening field investigation of society as well. In case of the history of Shanxi Province since the period of Ming and Qing Dynasties, this article puts forward that Shanxi regional social history should be studied from four aspects in future: population, resource, environment and social changes; businessman and character of regional society; culture and folk custom; the social condition and changes, etc.