重返阶级分析？--论中国社会不平等研究的范式转换

Bring the Class Back In? Paradigm shift in Chinese social inequality research

针对近年来正在成为一种社会学呼声的重返阶级分析主张,本文从阶级分析和分层研究两种范式的内在逻辑出发,结合改革以来中国社会形势的变迁,回答了为什么要重返阶级分析的问题。这个问题以前的讨论虽有涉及,但都没有抓住问题的关键。本文认为,阶级分析和分层研究两大范式的根本区别在于前者关于社会不平等的基本假设是冲突论的,认为社会不平等是统治阶级的需要和权力强制的结果;而后者是功能论的,认为社会不平等是社会整体的需要和自由竞争的结果。因此,前者更关注社会剥夺和集体抗争,后者更关注地位获得和"市场形势"。鉴于20世纪90年代后期以来中国社会形势日趋紧张,只有重新引入阶级分析视角,才能对中国社会不平等的结构和形成做出更有洞察力和前瞻性的分析。

In recent years,some scholars are strongly calling on bringing the class analysis back in the research on social inequality in China.Standing by the bring-class-analysis-back-in contention to some extent,this paper answers why we should get back to class analysis.The paper specifies the formulations for social inequality of the two paradigms,class analysis and stratification research,and the recent changes in social situation of China.The difference of ultimate primacy between class analysis and stratification research is that the basic assumption on social inequality for the former is of conflictualism,and functionalist for the latter,thus the former concentrates on social deprivation and collective action,and the latter focuses on status attainment and 'market situation'.Considering the social situation that the social conflicts tend to be more and more intensive and radical in China since late 1990s,we should bring the class analysis back in the research on the social inequality in China,otherwise we will fail to achieve insightful and predictive analysis.