Multi-ethnic Mixed Area Studies National Boundaries And Ethnic Relations

The study is based on the theory and method of Ethnic Sociology, adopts the research methods of quantitative analysis and qualitative analysis. Through field investigation, including the study of first-hand information based on questionnaire and in-depth interviews, study of historical documents of local chronicles, history books, genealogy, and the research of census data and relevant statistical data, it discusses the situation of boundaries and relationship among Sangzhi peoples. The study involves the following main points:First, the living pattern of multi-national area determines the integration of different nationalities. In multi-national area, Many nationalities are mixed together, there are frequent contacts between them, common areas that mutual understanding and learning between different nationalities, strengthen national unity, promoting the common development of economic and cultural life, the common factors among different nationalities increased. At the same time, the nation’s unique emerged and has a strong inclusive, on the basis of this formation formed the combination of the multi-ethnic relations. At present, Sangzhi nationalities in many aspects of living forms, dress, language and daily life are cemented together, and no structural differences between nationalities, all ethnic groups generally open to other nations, the intergroup contact between the various ethnic groups frequently, therefore, multi-ethnic area residents reflect some characteristics of blend.Second, the ethnic boundary of multi-national area tends to blur. Dress, language, customs and habits as the "cultural identity" to distinguish the ethnic differences, is an important basis to distinguish between different nationalities. People in multi-ethnic region through the frequent inter-ethnic contacts and cultural interaction, has formed a kind of convenient and practical " National common language ", the language boundary between different peoples have not existence, there is a mutual influence relationship between different ethnic religious beliefs, and different ethnic religions have much in common, reflect the characteristics of the national culture blend with each other, because of the long-term interaction between multi-ethnic, the long mutual penetration resulted in a gradual convergence of the customs and habits, the once clear national customs have had fusion, recombination, evolution,turn into a new customs system, has become the common customs complied with the domestic most residents. With the frequent exchanges between the peoples and the assimilation of production and life style, language and cultural aspects, Sangzhi intermarriage rate as high as41.6%, showing a normalization and scale trend; a higher proportion of intermarriage family resulted in more and more multinational families, the "ethnic composition" more and more diversified in Sangzhi residents family. In the modernization process is accelerating today, the "cultural identity" is not so obvious between different nationalities, ethnic boundary presents the defuzzification trend. Third, the national policy objective to strengthen the national consciousness, reconstruct the ethnic boundary. The modernization and national exchanges lead to primary national identity is abate, ethnic recognition and national policy in some extent strengthened the institutional national identity. On one hand, the state construct "ethnic group" in the social political way, strengthen the people’s national identity, on the other hand, the practical benefits such as "the national preferential policies" drive the minority positively identity their "national identity"."National identity" is no longer just a sense of pride and self-esteem about history, ancestors, culture and national characteristics, and more of a reality in the sense of opportunity. This ethnic consciousness that through policy mechanism into the idea world of people, enhance the peoples’ethnic identity and gradually reconstruct the ethnic boundary which different from other ethnic groups.This study is divided into four parts:The first part is the introduction, describes the research object and research topic, reviews the previous related research, and explain the research method of this paper and theoretical framework.The second part introduces the basic situation of Sangzhi, including geographical location, climatic conditions, economic model, ethnic and population distribution, and focuses on the sources of all ethnic groups in Sangzhi and the basic situation.The third part analysis of the boundary and the relationship between different ethnic groups in Sangzhi from living pattern, language, culture, social structure, social intercourse, intermarriage, family and kinship network etc.. The third chapter analyzes the distribution of the population of all ethnic groups in Sangzhi in the geographical space as well as the changes of each national living pattern. Discusses the status quo of intergroup contact and national structural differences, point out that Sangzhi now has been basically formed a relationship of equality, harmony, ethnic relations and mutual assistance. The fourth chapter analyzes the changes of Sangzhi nationalities in the language, religion, customs and other aspects, to analysis the status quo and trend of the mutual infiltration and fusion between different national culture. The fifth chapter is based on the questionnaire data, as well as the marriage registration data on civil affairs departments, focus on the gradual expansion of intermarriage family, analysis of the factors which affect the intermarriage. The sixth chapter starts with the preferential minority policies implemented in Sangzhi, and analyzes its influence on the national identity, ethnic relations, point out that the construction of national identity not only by the cultural characteristics of national nature as the foundation, but also influenced by the national recognition policy and national member’s instrumental rationality.The last chapter is discussion and conclusion part of this study, summarizes the main conclusions, proposed the ablation process of the national boundary in Sangzhi to some extent represents the most multi-ethnic region of ethnic relations evolution process in South China, with the development of modernization,"cultural identity" will continue to weaken,"national boundary" also will continue to blur, the blending and symbiosis of the ethnic minority population is the inevitable trend of the development of mult-national areas.