“走出科举”:七至二十世纪初中国社会流动研究的再思考

"Leaving the Imperial Examinations Behind":Rethinking the Study of China's Social Mobility from the 7^(th) to the Early 20^(th) Century

7—20世纪初中国的社会流动中,最值得关注的是掌握政治权力的精英阶层的循环和流动。中外学者将目光首先投向科举考试所造成的精英循环和社会流动。由于单位选择的差异,学者们对于"家世"在社会流动中的影响有不同的评估,但家族社会地位的维持,最终取决于家族成员在科举考试中所取得的名次以及在官僚体系中的地位。各个时期科举考试与社会流动的关系,涉及相应历史阶段教育资源的分布、考试录取配额制度等更加广泛的政治、经济与社会问题。辽、金、元王朝大多维护其本民族上层的特权,不同程度地影响到原有的社会流动机制,甚至使社会分层趋于固化,应该通过长时段的研究来评价其对于明初社会流动的影响。进行7—20世纪初中国社会流动的研究,如果能深入挖掘史料,建立数据库,使用科学的方法和手段,将研究视野从科举之内扩展到科举之外,全面客观地评价社会流动的积极成就与负面效应,则对那一时段中国社会的理解必将得到深入。

The circulation and mobility of elites with political power is the most noteworthy feature in the study of China's social mobility from the 7^(th) to the early 20^(th) century.Chinese and foreign scholars have focused first and foremost on elite circulation and mobility through the imperial examination system.Academic assessments of family influence on social mobility vary due to differences in unit selection,but the maintenance of a family's social status was ultimately determined by family members'examination results and their positions in the bureaucracy.The relationshipbetween the imperial examination and social mobility in different periods involves wider political,economic and social issues such as the distribution of educational resources and the quota system of enrollment and examination in the corresponding historical periods.The Liao,Jin and Yuan maintained the privileges of upper class members of their own ethnic group,thereby affecting the original mechanism of social mobility to different degrees and even consolidating social stratification.These dynasties'impact on early Ming social mobility should therefore be evaluated over the longue durée.Our understanding of Chinese society from the 7^(th) to the early 20^(th) century will be deepened if our research can exploit historical materials in depth,establish databases,use scientific methods and means,expand our horizons beyond the imperial examinations and comprehensively evaluate the positive achievements and negative impacts of social mobility.