作为应对人口老龄化问题之文化资源的非正式制度——裕固族敬老习俗的社会人类学初步研究

Informal Institution as Cultural Resource to Respond to the Issue of Aging of Populations:A Social Anthropological Initial Research on Respecting the Aged Custom in Yugur Society

人口老龄化是全球性的人口发展特征和趋势,中国政府和社会各界正在积极应对它。当前,中国人究竟该怎样认识和应对人口老龄化现象,仍是一个值得人们去思考、探索和实践的真问题。笔者认为,除了从法律法规和公共政策等正式制度的视角去认识和应对人口老龄化现象,还应该特别重视从非正式制度的视角去认识和应对它。本文拟通过裕固族敬老习俗的社会人类学描述与阐释,说明在实现社会控制的全部制度中,法律法规固然是其重要组成部分,但却不是它的全部,习俗作为非正式制度也具有相当的社会控制功能。在新的历史条件下和和谐社会建构过程中,为了迎接老龄化社会的挑战和繁荣社会主义新文化,应该充分重视和发挥敬老习俗等非正式制度的价值和作用。

Aging of populations is the characteristic and trend of global population development, which is being ac- tively dealt with by the China government and the whole society. In this day and age, how to understand and respond to the issue of aging of populations in China is still a true question which needs us to think, explore and practice. The au- thor~ viewpoint is that, besides dealing and coping with the aging of populations from the perspective of formal institu- tion system, like laws, regulations and public policies, we also need to understand and respond to it in an informal in- stitution. This article, based on the social anthropological description and interpretation on the Yugur peopleg custom of respecting aged people, illustrated that although the law or regulation is an important part of the social control institu- tion, but not all of it. Likewise the custom as the informal institution also takes on the function of social control. Under the new historical condition and the process of building the harmonious society, in order to face the challenge of aging issue and to enrich the socialism new culture, we should pay full attention to the custom of respecting aged people and other informal institutions to play their proper roles.