逃避孤独:麻将桌与乡镇退休老人日常交流的叙事研究

Escaping from the Loneliness:Narrative Research on Mahjong and Daily Communication of the Retired Elderly in a Town

退休老人对亲密关系的选择和维系更为苛刻。麻将除了娱乐功能之外,更发挥着社交功能。退休老人的生活中存在两种麻将桌。第一种是河边街口的营利性麻将馆或牌桌,这些牌桌存在两个最主要的意义:给了老人逃避孤独,与陌生人交流的空间,但交流的对象虽多,却质量有限;更重要的是给老人提供了一个'戏台',在这个意义中,打麻将不是最重要的,和陌生人一起'看别人打麻将'才是最重要的。自动麻将桌的出现引起老人的好奇,'看戏'与'隔空喊话'的行为促进了熟人之间的友谊。第二种是熟人邀约形成的牌桌,具有偶发性、随机性,由于牌友总是固定的,交流相对深入,退休老人在熟人牌桌上形成了前台的亲密关系。基于原有社会关系而组成的同事牌桌,也表现出互惠性情感支持的特征。但是,这种亲密关系很容易因为偶然因素而解体,牌桌上的友谊体现为一种弱亲密关系,它的解体与重建都很轻易,后台的交心与交恶在这个过程中起重要作用。

Retired people have higher requirements for choosing and maintaining intimate relationship. Mahjong, as an entertaining activity, plays a key role as social space for the aged. There are two main mahjong tables: one is commercial mahjong parlor and the other is mahjong game in acquaintances’ places. In commercial area, mahjong provides aging people with a communication space with strangers. But the communicative quality is limited The most important function of mahjong parlor is to act as a 'play stage' where old friends gather together to watch and to discuss about the play. In this sense mahjong parlor enhanced friendship and intimate relationship among old friends. Meanwhile retired people who prefer to play mahjong at home or only with acquaintances have more opportunities to form deeper communication and reciprocal support from old social relationships. Therefore it’s more possible than mahjong parlor for the retired elderly to build up intimate relationship as well as its maintenance. But intimate relationship built on mahjong is weak due to the fact it’s easy to be dismissed because of occasional factors. Mahjong friendship is a weak intimate relationship whose formation and dissolution are both easy and the behavior on the forestage and communication on the backstage play key roles in the whole process.