科大卫与明清华南宗族研究

David Faure and the Study of Lineage in South China during the Ming and Qing Dynasties

华南宗族是科大卫教授的重要研究领域。他以历史学为本位,借鉴人类学的理论和方法,走进乡村社会广泛收集民间文献和口述资料,并将之与田野调查相结合,形成了历史人类学的研究路径。"口述历史计划"堪称其进入传统乡村社会史研究的开始,"入住权"理论更是对宗族研究的重要贡献,补充了弗里德曼研究中宗族与地域社会关系的论点。在明清珠江三角洲地区的宗族研究中,他从地方社会与王朝互动和整合的独特视角,以"礼仪"作为分析工具,展现了宗族制度的历史演变。正是这种路径,形成了有别于传统中国宗族研究的特殊风格。

Lineage in South China is an important subject in Professor David Faure s research. He applies anthropological theories and methods to historical research. He conducts field research in rural areas to collect folk literature and oral materials extensively. By doing so, he forms a research approach of historical anthropology. The Oral History Project can be regarded as the beginning of the study of the traditional rural society. The theory of “Settlement Rights” is an important contribution to the study of lineage, too, which complements Maurice Freedman s studies on the relationship between lineage and local society. In the study of the lineage in the Pearl Delta region of the Ming and Qing dynasties, he demonstrates the historical evolution of lineage system from the unique perspective of interaction and integration between local society and the dynasty state, using etiquette as an analytical tool. It is this approach that forms a special style different from traditional Chinese lineage studies.