反思、对话与文化自觉——《西部民俗》“中国民俗学的新方向”专刊评介

think

2022年5月，美国民俗研究期刊《西部民俗》（Western Folklore，Volume 81 • Number 2-3，Spring/Summer 2022）以“中国民俗学的新方向”（New Directions in Chinese Folkloristics）为题，专刊发表了12位中国学者的研究成果（包括10篇学术论文和1篇书评），内容涉及民俗学科史、实践民俗学和日常生活研究转向、民俗志书写、非物质文化遗产保护、乡村社会治理等多个研究主题和学术热点问题。

专刊开篇，《西部民俗》主编、美国宾夕法尼亚州立大学副教授安东尼·布切泰利（Anthony Bak Buccitelli）作序（Editorial Preface to New Directions in Chinese Folkloristics）。他提到，此次专刊是2020年北京师范大学社会学院民俗学专业举办的暑期学术研讨会衍生成果之一，旨在进一步加强中外民俗学界的交流对话。他认为，专刊虽然不能代表中国民俗学研究的全貌，但却从“新方向”或“新视角”反映了中国民俗学学科史、学科方法论以及关键概念理论创新的新趋势。此外，美国西部民俗学会会长、崴涞大学(Willamette University)东亚系张举文教授为专刊撰写了详尽的导语（Introduction: Glimpses of New Directions in Chinese Folkloristics）。他指出，尽管当前关于中国民俗研究的英文出版物有所增加，但普遍缺乏关于中国民俗学学科整体发展的理论和方法论的专题或系统介绍。因此，专刊从近两年中国民俗学科七十年发展的总结反思成果中，着重选取了三个代表性领域介绍给国际学界，分别是：关于“实践”概念的辩论和民俗研究中的“日常生活”；民俗在“乡村社会治理”中的作用以及民俗学家在地方和国家决策中的作用；民俗志书写与实践的建构。这些内容在此前的英文出版物中几乎未曾涉及。张举文教授还特别强调，为促进中国学者与国际民俗学者的深度互动，他与主编认为需要在“英文读者的易读性和中文学术术语的使用方式”之间寻求平衡，摆脱以西方习惯的术语和理论框架来翻译和评价中国学者的研究成果的范式，为此，他们最大程度地保留了中国学者的论文原貌，并在导语中对关键术语做出特别的翻译和注释，以便于国际学界的理解。具体刊载文章目录和简要综述如下。

一、学科建设的经验与反思

诞生于五四时期的中国民俗学科已走过百年历程，面对当下社会的快速转型，民俗学人寻根溯源、知古鉴今、反思当下、回应社会。萧放、贾琛合作撰写《中国民俗学学科发展经验与反思》（Developing Chinese Folkloristics: Experience and Reflection）一文，从宏观角度对百年中国民俗学发展进行了整体审视，较全面呈现了当前民俗学前沿理论、系统总结了民俗学学科建设经验，并从自主性与独立性、实践性与历史性、本土性与国际性、融合性与开放性四个方面探讨了中国民俗学的未来发展方向。刘晓春的《中山大学民俗学的历史与现状》（A Centennial Overview of Folklore Studies at Sun Yat-sen University）一文回顾了20世纪二三十年代以“中大民俗学会”为中心的民俗学研究至八十年代的民俗学学科建设史，详细介绍了新时代背景下中山大学民俗学专业建设的基本情况，从微观层面呈现了中山大学民俗学科与历史的接续性关联。张士闪在《当代村落民俗志书写中学者与民众的视域融合》（The Integration of Scholarly and Local Perspectives in Writing Village Minsuzhi in Contemporary China）一文中提出，当代学者应继承古代知识精英“为民请命”“以礼化俗”等所表征的神圣传统，通过与民众的视域融合，促进对村落民俗传统的准确认知与表达，赋予村落民俗志书写以多层级的文化意义。还应注意在深描之中提炼理论话语，发掘中国文化的民间表达形式与传承机制，以小见大地阐述中国社会的人文传统、基本国情与发展道路。此文所论述的“民俗志”书写概念及其相关问题也是本专刊突出的中国本土概念之一。另外，美国俄亥俄州立大学留美学者刘玮为张士闪著《礼与俗：在田野中理解中国》一书撰写书评文章，全面肯定了书中提出的“礼俗互动”本土概念的理论建构意义。

二、朝向当下的实践研究转向

进入21世纪以后，朝向当代的“日常生活”和“实践”成为中国民俗学的关键词之一，但学者们使用“实践”这一概念时多有论争。鞠熙的《中国民俗学研究的实践转向——以北京师范大学“百村社会治理调查”项目为例》（A Turn Toward Practice in Chinese Folkloristics: A Reflection on the Concept Through Fieldwork）一文基于北京师范大学近几年开展的“乡村传统与社会治理”研究明确提出“知行合一的实践民俗学”概念。作者认为，这种意义上的实践民俗学延续了古代“观风知政”的传统，强调民俗学者由民俗生活中的行动者变为自觉的行动者，由以往关注单向度的民俗传承转变为关注发现生活事件中各类因素在时间与空间中的联系，并描摹这些联系变化的轨迹。贺少雅、朱霞合作撰写的《节庆类非遗保护实践的思考——以北京师范大学传统节日仪式非遗研讨班为例》（Safeguarding Festivals: Reflections on the Training Workshop for Young ICH Bearers）一文回应了鞠熙提出的“知行合一的实践民俗学”的倡导，作者以北京师范大学举办的传统节日仪式非遗研讨班为例，探索了高校参与国家公共文化事业的方法和路径，并结合乡村社会治理项目研究，关注到民俗学者作为实践中“自觉的行动者”积极参与地方和国家决策的作用。

三、遗产保护和传承的理论延展

遗产保护和活化利用，最根本在于传承。杨利慧在《遗产旅游语境中的神话主义——导游神话讲述表演的民族志研究》（Mythologism in the Context of Heritage Tourism: An Ethnographic Study of Tour Guides’ Myth-telling Performances in Northern China）一文中提出，河北涉县娲皇宫景区对女娲神话的整合运用与重述生动展现了遗产旅游语境中的神话主义，及其呈现出的口头传统与书面传统有机融合、叙事表演以情境和游客为中心、神话更为系统化、神话的地方化更加突显四大特点。作者认为，神话主义属于神话的“第二次生命”，研究者应将神话的整个生命过程综合起来，进行整体研究。韩成艳《非物质文化遗产的主体与保护主体之解析》（On the Subjects of Intangible Cultural Heritage Practice and Protection）一文以“主体”身份看待非遗概念和非遗保护相关的各个方面，着重论述非遗主体与传统民俗/民间文化的主体之“民”的区分和转化过程，并从非物质文化遗产保护作为一项全人类、全社会卷入的公共文化事业角度，界定了非遗保护各主体所扮演的角色和承担的责任。作者认为，区分并界定非遗的主体与非遗保护的主体这两个概念有助于探索建立非遗保护的分工合作的身份框架，推动非遗保护中具有建设价值的理论工作。

四、从个体反思到整体文化自觉的阐释

聚焦本土实践培养问题意识是中国学界自觉的学术传承和使命担当。岩温宰香《维系和建构认同的机制：过渡礼仪视域下的傣族“换寨心”仪式》（The Mechanism of Maintaining Identity Applying the Rites de Passage in the “Replacing Village Heart” of a Dai Village in China）从边地民族的换寨心仪式出发重新审视经典的过渡礼仪理论，展现出少数民族文化传统中仪式意义的复杂性和多义性。熊威《从“认奘不认坟”到“认奘又认坟”：德昂族丧葬文化变迁研究》（From “Recognizing the Temple but not the Grave”to Recognizing Both: A Study of the Change of Funeral Culture of the Deang People）一文回到日常生活语境，聚焦近十年来德昂族“认奘不认坟”的丧葬文化传统转变为“认奘又认坟”的过程，讨论德昂族主体性的文化再生产过程、实践与逻辑。赵慧杰《中国西和乞巧节的传统与当代》（The Contemporary Practice of the Double Seventh Festival in Northwest China）一文讨论了西和乞巧节的延续性及其与西方情人节文化元素的适应性。作者认为，在中国大部分地区，七夕节仍然具有“乞巧”的本质意义，一些新的文化元素还被作为独特的文化群体身份标志。

《西部民俗》创刊于1942年，由美国西部民俗学会（Western States Folklore Society）主办，迄今已有80年历史，是美国乃至世界民俗学界公认的权威期刊之一，并被艺术与人文引文索引（Arts & Humanities Citation Index）收录。五年前的2017年4月，《西部民俗》曾以专刊形式刊登了张举文、周星、高丙中、萧放等四位学者有关中国非物质文化遗产保护的系列文章，向世界民俗学人较为完整地介绍了中国非遗保护的现状、文化脉络和机制。此次《西部民俗》推出的“中国民俗学的新方向”专刊，围绕中国民俗学科建设和发展，从不同主题和不同视角反思学科经典理论、拓展学科研究领域、深化民俗文化阐释、完善学科理论体系，较全面地展示了当今中国民俗学研究的新方向、新主题、新方法等学术动态。对于中美民俗学界来说，这样多维度的前沿问题交流尚属首次。必须提及的是，此次专刊的面世得益于张举文教授的大力支持。作为美国学界屈指可数的华人民俗学家，张举文教授始终关注中国本土民俗研究以及中美跨文化比较研究和学术交流，不辞辛劳、身体力行，积极搭建中美学术交流互动的桥梁。“一桥飞架变通衢”，可以预见，中国民俗学界未来将在国际学术圈中越来越多地发出中国声音、讲好中国故事、传播中国话语。

原创：贺少雅，岩温宰香　https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/qN4PZQ4rWJ1dn8jVHeUVUQ

think

《西部民俗》“中国民俗学的新方向”专刊英文链接：　https://www.westernfolklore.org/WFPreview.html

Introduction: Glimpses of New Directions in Chinese folkloristics
Juwen Zhang

Developing Chinese Folkloristics: Experience and Reflection
Fang Xiao and Chen Jia
ABSTRACT: For a century, Chinese folkloristics has continued its unique traditions while integrating both domestic and international theories. It identifies applications in the lives of common people and transmits China’s national and cultural heritage while pursuing social reform and community reconstruction. This article summarizes contemporary theories in folkloristics in China, discusses the discipline’s development, and shares lessons from four dynamic areas: autonomy and independence; practicality and historicity; localization and internationalization; and syncretism and openness.
KEYWORDS: Chinese folkloristics, disciplinarity, folklore theory and method, practice, historiography.

A Centennial Overview of Folklore Studies at Sun Yat-sen University
Xiaochun Liu
ABSTRACT: The Folklore Society at Sun Yat-sen University was the first folklore research institute in China in the early twentieth century, and the current Folklore Program/Intangible Cultural Heritage Institute there is representative of the graduate programs across the country. A glimpse of the developmental history of this program describes the contour of Chinese folkloristics: the composition of faculty and students, research areas and projects, and affiliations with other departments/disciplines, publications, and folklore journals.
KEYWORDS: Sun Yat-sen University, Folklore Society, regional folklore, ethnic folklore, folkloricity

The Integration of Scholarly and Local Perspectives in Writing Village Minsuzhi in Contemporary China
Shishan Zhang
ABSTRACT: In recent years, there has been an upsurge in the writing of village minsuzhi, reflecting a growing awareness of the importance of traditional culture in the development of Chinese rural society. Contemporary scholars should carry on the traditions represented by the ancient intellectual elite, such as “fighting for the people” and “transforming customs with rituals.” They should also promote writing minsuzhi based on an accurate knowledge and expression of tradition by combining scholars’ perspectives and the local villagers’ perspectives. Doing so will help promote contemporary village revitalization strategies and contribute to the development of local societies. Practical village minsuzhi writing should also be part of a theoretical discourse about the folk expressions and inheritance mechanisms of Chinese culture.
KEYWORDS: village minsuzhi, ethnography, emic, etic

A Turn Toward Practice in Chinese Folkloristics: A Reflection on the Concept Through Fieldwork
Xi Ju
ABSTRACT: In recent years, debates have arisen about the goals and methods of folklore studies in China. Complicating these efforts at reconstructing Chinese folkloristics, however, is the administrative positioning of some folklore programs in schools of literature and others in schools of sociology. This essay reflects on the experience of this ongoing administrative shift, and how this shift has provided Chinese folklorists with an opportunity to explore the new possibilities for applying folkloristics to social practice.
KEYWORDS: practice, social governance, village, China

Safeguarding Festivals: Reflections on the Training Workshop for Young ICH Bearers
Shaoya He and Xia Zhu
ABSTRACT: The Folklore Program at Beijing Normal University is participating in the new central government initiative “Workshop for Training Inheritance of Intangible Cultural Heritage Bearers,” a platform for ICH bearers to transmit traditional knowledge and skill to younger generations. This essay reflects on the experience of holding this workshop on the theme of “festival-ritual,” which involved working with parties in the local village and government and promoting new models of transmitting traditions by training young bearers.
KEYWORDS: Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH), tradition-bearers, festivals, rituals

The Mechanism of Maintaining Identity Applying the Rites de Passage in the “Replacing Village Heart” of a Dai Village in China
Wenzaixiang Yan
ABSTRACT: Through fieldwork on the ritual of “Replacing Village Heart” in Dai village, Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, this essay applies the rites de passage model and argues that the symbolic “Village Heart” plays the same role as a human initiate. This analysis contributes to the understanding of multicultural integration and explores the social function of the ritual and the role of folk belief in the construction and maintenance of group identity.
KEYWORDS: rites of passage, symbolism, identity, Dai people, China

From “Recognizing the Temple but not the Grave” to Recognizing Both: A Study of the Change of Funeral Culture of the Deang People
Wei Xiong
ABSTRACT: In their funeral traditions, the Deang people, influenced by Southern (Theravada) Buddhism, recognize the zang (temple) but not the grave. In recent years, however, they have begun to recognize both the temple and the grave. Based on fieldwork, this study explores the process, practice, and logic of cultural reproduction behind this change, and looks at how the Deang people have engaged in the political discourse of national unity while rationalizing their changing funerary traditions.
KEYWORDS: Zang, temple, graves, Deang, funeral culture

The Contemporary Practice of the Double Seventh Festival in Northwest China
Huijie Zhao
ABSTRACT: The Double Seventh Festival, which has a long history, is now seen as a national intangible cultural heritage in China. Drawing on fieldwork, this essay discusses the continuity of this tradition and its adaption to cultural elements of Valentine’s Day. It shows the essence of this festival as a ritual for girls to learn to become women and for married women to learn to maintain harmony in family life.
KEYWORDS: Double Seventh Festival, Chinese Valentine’s Day, Xihe Qiqiao, intangible cultural heritage (ICH)

Mythologism in the Context of Heritage Tourism: An Ethnographic Study of Tour Guides’ Myth-tellng in Northern China
Lihui Yang
ABSTRACT: “Mythologism” is the reconstruction of myths due to the influence of modern cultural industry and media. Focusing on the retelling of Nüwa myths by tour guides in northern China, this paper explores mythologism in heritage tourism by analyzing their scripts and oral performances. After summarizing some features, this study argues that mythologism belongs to the “second life” of myth, and that researchers should study the whole integrated life process of myth.
KEYWORDS: mythologism, heritage tourism, tour guide, myth-telling performance, life process

On the Subjects of Intangible Cultural Heritage Practice and Protection
Chengyan Han
ABSTRACT: Safeguarding intangible cultural heritage (ICH) is a worldwide public culture enterprise practiced by multiple human-agencies across many societies, each of which claims different roles and responsibilities. One way to actively empower all agencies is to treat all agencies involved as “subjects”—human actors. This paper defines the subject of ICH as well as the subject of the safeguarding practice in order to understand their roles.
KEYWORDS: safeguarding ICH, ICH theory, subject, agency, public culture

Review Essay
Li yu su: zai tianye zhong lijie Zhongguo 礼与俗：在田野中理解中国 [Ritual and Custom: Understanding China in Fieldwork]. Shishan Zhang张士闪 (Shandong: Qilu shushe, 2019. Pp. 286, two prefaces, epilogue, notes. ¥ 72 paper.)

[Ed. Note: This review essay discusses a recent book by Shishan Zhang, whose essay, “The Integration of Scholarly and Local Perspectives in Writing Village Minsuzhi in Contemporary China,” appears in this issue.]