从数据中浮现“社会实体”——定量社会研究的方法论反思

The Emergence of Social Substratum from Data:Methodological Reflection of Quantitative Sociological Research

当前定量社会研究的主流范式,容易停留在碎片化的变量属性层面,缺失甚至遮蔽了对于实质性社会过程的洞察与观照。借鉴涂尔干的经典研究文献,可探讨与“假设—演绎主义”完全不同的一种研究旨趣和方法路径:致力于揭示有关“事物本性”的根本原因,而不是对众多因素的穷尽式列举;注重在理论逻辑的指引下,对变量之间的交织关系进行深入辨析与整体描画,逐层去除种种表象因素的遮蔽;伴随背后的社会实体原因逐步涌现和提炼,单个变量的真正意蕴才得以充分呈现。这种方法论路径与中国社会的内在特征更为贴合,蕴含了中国定量社会学的创新方向。

The mainstream paradigm of quantitative sociological research based on fragmented variable analysis,often lacks or even obscures reflection on and observation of the substantive social process.Taking the practice of Durkheim’s classical work Suicide as reference,a methodological approach which is distinct from the“hypothetic-deductive”paradigm is proposed.It is devoted to revelation of the fundamental cause rooted in “the nature of things,” rather than exhaustive enumeration of causal factors.It focuses on the profound analyses and overall description of the intertwined variable relationships and the emergence of social substratum under the guidance of theoretical logic,thus removing the influence of superficial factors.The meanings of variables are fully understood only after the fundamental cause of social substratum is clarified.This methodological approach is more consistent with the inherent characteristics of Chinese society.It is highly instructive for the innovation direction of Chinese quantitative sociology.