饭局的功能与过程——一种中国人的饮食文化

The Function and Process of Feasts——A Diet Culture of the Chinese People

本文从饮食人类学的视域切入今日中国最普遍的饮食现象——"饭局",并以功能和过程为视点对"饭局"进行探究。分析表明:中国式"饭局"虽因参加者之间社会关系的不同而具有不同的功能,但由于中国人文化中的"差序格局"因素,导致饭局参加者总有强化彼此间情感关系的意图,而对"饭局"前、中、后的过程分析也显示:合食式"饭局"其特有的多种互动因素已成为增强参加者情感成分的最佳媒介,它拉近距离,润滑关系,最终使得"饭局"成为中国人最常用的交往方式。

From the perspective of diet anthropology, this paper attempts to explore one of the most common diet phenomena in China today-＂feasts＂, by focusing on their functions and process. Findings show that in spite of the fact that Chinese feasts have special functions due to the difference in social relations between the participants, there is always an intention of strenthening each other＇s emotional relations as a result of the ＂pattern of difference sequence＂ in Chinese culture. Analysis of the process also reveals that dish- sharing ＂feasts＂, because of their interactiveness, have become the best medium through which to strengthen the emotion between the participants, and to shorten each other＇s distance and faciliate relations, thus making dinner parties the best way of communication for the Chinese people.