从中国传统社会规范中审视礼物流通的影响因素

On the Influencing Factors of the Circulation of Liwu(Gift)from the Traditional Chinese Social Norms

“礼”就是仪式或者礼节,往往受到由约定俗成的传统道德约束下的行为模式影响。“物”即物质实体,其在经历社会性流动的过程中总是遵循着一定的社会规则和文化规范。礼的循环受到中国传统社会中的人情伦理以及等级秩序影响后被物化为“礼物”。差序格局社会下,中国传统社会规范影响下的礼物流动主要为了让有亲缘与血缘关系的家族、宗族更好地凝聚在一起;商品经济冲击下的人际关系中,礼物流通于由同学、兴趣和工作等业缘、地缘关系组成的“圈子”与“系”中;“仁”“义”与“礼”等儒家传统道德思想影响下的“人情”“面子”更推崇“礼尚往来”。在这些形形色色的关系中,礼物的存在发挥着社会整合的功能,并在礼物的不断流通过程中,建立、巩固和拓展着人们的社会关系。

In the Chinese expression of“liwu”(gift),“li”refers to rituals or etiquette that are often influenced by behavioral patterns constrained by conventional traditional morality;and“wu”refers to material entities that always adhere to certain social rules and cultural norms in the process of social mobility.The circulation of“li”is impacted by the ethical and hierarchical order of traditional Chinese society,and it is then materialized into“liwu”(gift).Under the influence of traditional Chinese social norms,the circulation of gifts is primarily for the better cohesion of families and clans with family and blood tie in a society of differentiated order pattern;gifts are circulated through the“circle”and“system”formed by classmates,interests,jobs and other professional and geographical contacts as a result of the commodity economy’s impact on interpersonal interactions;under the traditional Confucian moral thoughts such as“benevolence”“righteousness”and“courtesy”,“human relationship”and“face”support the idea of“courtesy demands reciprocity”even more.In these various types of relationships,the existence of gifts plays a role in social integration,and the constant circulation of gifts establishes,consolidates and expands people’s social relationships.