大局与均平——组织场域视角下的清代桑园围围际水利纠纷

The Big Picture and Equalization:Water Disputes between Sangyuanwei and Its Neighboring Polder Embankment Systems in Qing China from the Organizational Field Perspective

本文援用组织场域视角,考察了清代桑园围两起大规模围际水利纠纷。作为场域主导性制度逻辑的“公”观念,为纠纷双方和官府的话语与行动策略提供合法性依据。由“公”观念的二重属性,衍生出“公正不偏”的行动准则以及“顾全大局”和“乐利均平”两项行动评判标准。“大局”通常指国家或多数人的利益,“均平”要求局部范围的各相关群体都可获得利益,二者在具体情境中的一致或冲突,塑造了两起纠纷的不同演变轨迹。本文在丰富水利社会史研究的同时,还提供了关于制度逻辑对制度复杂性、场域动态性影响的新知识。

This paper employs organizational field theory to examine two largescale water conflicts that occurred between Sangyuanwei and its neighboring polder embankment systems during the Qing Dynasty.The Chinese concept of“Gong”serves as the field's dominant institutional logic and provides a foundation of legitimacy for both conflicting parties and government officials to articulate their discourse and action strategies.From the dual aspects of Gong,the action principle of“impartiality and fairness”and the criteria for action evaluation of“considering the big picture”and“benefits and interests equalization”are derived.“The big picture”typically pertains to the state's or the majority's interests,while“equalization”requires ensuring that all relevant local groups benefit.The consistency or divergence between them in specific contexts shapes the different paths of these two disputes.This study not only contributes to hydraulic social history but also offers new insights into how institutional logic impacts institutional complexity and field dynamics.