传统、旅行的人类学与中国的现代性话语

Tradition, Traveling Theory, Anthropology and the Discourse of Modernity in China

通过对温州农村乡村经济在私有化和工业化过程中的复兴,以及当地传统社团组织、民间宗教、传统习俗、仪式和节日庆典的复兴和重建进行研究,文章以所谓“传统”的命运以及人类学知识和国家范围内的现代性话语在现代国家的构建中所扮演的角色为出发点,研究了国家话语和地方传统之间的互动关系。现代性孕育出了与其自身对抗的力量。在温州,随着经济的发展,“传统”力量得到了增强,经济的私有化更多地促进了当地人对重建地方上的基础设施和传统文化的积极参与。中国的现代性话语及其后果特征有三:首先朝代更替的历史为一种线性的历史进化论所代替;其次,中国的现代性话语实践是以西方为衡量标准——西方被认为是先进的,中国是落后的;第三,在对传统的态度上,中国比西方表现出更为激进的行动,导致传统链条的断裂,中国年轻一代失去社会记忆力。

Through a case study of Wenzhou on the revival of local village economy in the process of national privatization and industrialization, and on the reconstruction of local traditional societies, folk religions, local customs, rituals and festivities, the thesis explores the interactive relationships between the state discourses and local traditions by looking into the mishap of ＂tradition＂ and the role played by anthropological knowledge and state discourse of modernity in the construction of a modern state. Modernity gives birth to the forces against itself. In Wenzhou, the power of tradition is strengthened along with the development of economy, as economic privatization gives rise to more active involvement in the reconstruction of local infrastructure and culture by local people. Chinese modern discourse and its outcome have three characteristics： first, a spiral history of alternating dynasties is replaced by a linear history of evolution; second, Chinese modern discourse makes the West its criteria： the West is thought the advanced, and China the backward; third, facing its own tradition, China appears more progressive than the West, which brings about the rupture between now and the past and the amnesia of the younger generation.