革命、传统与现代性:西方人类学中国研究的向度

Revolution,Tradition and Modernity:Chinese Study in Western Anthropology

自20世纪80年代起,人类学者再也不用透过台湾、香港,或东南亚华人社会"间接"了解中国,而50年代迄今,中国大陆的经济发展与相应的社会文化变迁,更使得中国本身已然成为宝贵的田野。改革开放三十多年来,西方学者在中国这块田野地的研究,几乎都不脱离革命、传统与现代性这彼此牵连的三条主轴。对人类学者而言,当各类媒体如临现场般的呈现大小事件,田野研究和参与观察不再是学科专利,究竟人类学对了解当代中国的意义为何?在目前无论主题、理论、方法与其他相关学科高度重叠的现况下,人类学对于中国研究的独特视野及洞见又何在?本文试图透过近二十年来的西方人类学中国研究指出,革命本身与其当代意义不应也不能被视为禁区,反而是值得反思、持续深化论证的核心。

Starting from 1980 s,it has become unnecessary for anthropologists to acquire'indirect'understanding of China through Chinese communities in Taiwan,Hong Kong,or Southeast Asia. In fact,ever since 1950 s,the economic development and the corresponding social and cultural changes in China's Mainland have turned the country into a treasure land for field research. In the past thirty years after the reform and open-door policy,field work ever done on the Chinese soil by western scholars has been largely centering around three main axis,i.e.,revolution,tradition,and modernity. Anthropologists have found that live media coverage and presentation of major or minor incidents are nothing short of field research and participatory observation which were once their exclusive domain. What is the meaning of anthropology to the understanding of modern China? Given the high overlapping of subjects,theories and methods between related disciplines,what constitutes the unique vision and insight of anthropology in the study of China? Based on China studies conducted by western anthropologists in the past twenty years,this author maintains that revolution and its modern implications should not be considered as forbidden topics,rather they should become kernel topics that call for serious reflection and deep-going exposition.