从形式到实质:社会学研究的“更进一步”

From Form to Substance:A“Further Step”in Sociological Research

提升文化自觉、增进同情共感、见微知著是社会科学实质性研究的标准,这要求社会科学能够自觉揭示或关联研究对象所在情境的“世界图像”。实质性研究与只关注概念体系和方法的“科学性”等外围指标的形式性研究相对,是在后者基础上“更进一步”。社会学的实质性研究,是社会学想象力的题中应有之义。如果承认“家”是中国文明的“世界图像”之源,就可以“家”为参照来反思国内一些重要的理论设计和个案研究,拓展社会学研究的新空间和新深度。推进社会学的实质性研究,需要改变目前国内社会学教育过分专业化的局面,重估社会学在中国文明整体中的位置,拓展学科边界,增进研究者的理论感、历史感和经验感。

The criteria for substantive research in the social sciences are the improvement of cultural self-consciousness,empathy,and the ability to discern substance and trends in early signs.It requires the social sciences to be able to consciously reveal or relate to the“world image”of the context in which the object of study is located.Substantive research,as opposed to formal research that focuses on peripheral indicators such as conceptual systems and“scientific”methodology,is a“further step”based on the latter.Substantive sociological research is an essential part of the sociological imagination.If we acknowledge that“family”is the source of the“world image”of Chinese civilization,we can use“family”as a reference to reflect on some important theoretical designs and case studies in China and expand the space and depth of sociological research.Advancing substantive research in sociology requires changing the current situation of over-specialization in sociological education in China,reassessing the position of sociology in Chinese civilization as a whole,expanding the boundaries of the discipline,and enhancing researchers’theoretical sense,historical sense and empirical sense.