How Ethnic Groups Remember

Under the guidance of the theories of ethnology,sociology and history,this dissertation focuses on the Shanxi Hui people("Shan Hui")who were arranged into Liupanshan-Jinghe area by Qing dynasty in Tongzhi years after "Hui People Uprising".Historical evidence analysis,in-depth interview,observation in site and narrative analysis are the major methods adopted in this research.By comparing the "scene" of history against the reality of the field,the author try to investigate how the collective memories of ethnic group were produced in different historical context,and how the disadvantaged groups-"Shan Hui"-as the historical subject-the former rebels in dynastic period-remember their own history in order to continue the cultural tradition and schieve culture regeneration in Liupanhan-Jinghe area-an alien land-after they were arranged by Qing dynasty. On the basis of reference and reflection of the "Space Theory"and "Memory Theory" of sociology and anthropology,the author attempt to raise a conception of "space-sites of memory",and mainly put forward the following opinions by combining the study case in this dissertation,these are:in the first place,the social space as the collective consciousness and the sites of memory,which is created by power.In terms of the study case,Qing government reproduced the ethnic group of "Shan Hui" in an alien land through suppression and resettlement by force-a site selection of geographic space(the material scale of space),an arrangement of rigid social systems(the social scale of space),an education mechanism of free school(the cultural scale of space)-in order to deprive the "hometown"of "Shan Hui"(their own space). At the same time,the space created in this historical process became the historical sites of memory of the group of "Shan Hui". Secondly, the space full of power has its emotional scale as well.For instance,when approaching into the villages of "Shan Hui"in Liupanshan-Jinghe Area,you will find whether the places names or accent all make a copy of those of Shanxi province.The ancestors of "Shan Hui" not only builded a place of "home"in the "alien land",but also created an intermediary of collective memories and a way of cultural inheritance by renaming. And the "space-sites of memory" constructed by interaction, mutuality and competition between Nation(Government) and ethnic groups,become a container which is holding the ethnic identity and traditional culture of "Shan Hui".Therefore, in the study of the thread of ethnic memories of shan Hui" under different historical context of nation-social transformation(Qing Dynasty-the Republic of China-the People’s Republic of China),whether historical memory,social memory,collective memory or cultural memory which is the nuclear one,they are all controlled by power,but also as a result of cultural adaptation of "Shan Hui".Especially during the decades of reform and opening-up,China has emerged relatively loose political environment,which offers "Shan Hui" with new opportunity that they awake their cultural consciousness by reading the"creation from others", thus accomplish the construction of memories by theirself. This reconstruction of memories based on self-cultural consciousness will be the guidance of their fulture as well.