社会史视野中的民间信仰与传统乡村社会

Folk Faith and Traditional Rural Society under the View of Social History

本文讨论了民间信仰与当地的生态、生活和生产之间的关系,指出民间信仰的地方性大多来自该社会特定的生态系统,此信仰反过来又对生态系统具有一定的保护功能;反映群体成员共同生活利益与需求的群体监护神信仰是传统乡村社会的建构性因素,它缩小了个人与群体间的差异,造就了群体认同和凝聚力;行业神崇拜对行业群体也有教化作用,它增强了行业人士的自我约束和规范行为,有利于维持良好的经济秩序。总之,除个别情况之外,民间信仰是社会教化和生产、生活控制功能的重要环节,有利于社会秩序的稳定。

Folk faith is closely related with the social ecology,modes of life,structure and function of traditional rural society.It possesses neglected social status and function,and mainly plays positive roles in rural social construction.It is the barometer of social ecology,and has the function of integrating social organizations,stabilizing social regulations and carrying the society forward.