Xiangdong Springs Clan Social Structure And Change

In era of feudalism, the lineage has been always important organization of Chinese social life, which affected deeply Chinese social characteristic and psychologicl structure. After 1949 , newly building chinese power directly controlled every social fields.After some tests of social movements ,the lineage disappeared superficially ,but the core of it still existed.from reform and opening ,with the power retreating from rural society ,the lineage appeared little by little in some part of country again,such as building Ancestral Halls and editing genealogies.Academic community has different opinion on the revival of lineage. It is of great significance both in theory and in reality to understand the social structure and evolution of lineage, realize the social development of China and investigate real life world of peasants and further the progress of rural modernization. The principal methods of this paper are on-the-spot study, literature research and case investigation. The paper has six parts. The first one introduces the basic condition of Quan-village and the Linshi lineage, and tells the history of Linshi lineage and the general picture of life of this village. The second one investigates social evolution of the Linshi lineage with three stages: in the later period of the Republic of China, the great lineage power affected all kinds of social fields; between1949 and 1981,the lineage was totally replaced by formal organization, it disappeared superficially , but the core of it still existed;since 1981,the external forms of lineage has been rebuilding,and its influence increasing continuously.The three part deeply analyses four causes of the revival of lineage:the transition of society system generated existing space,the inheritation of lineage culture contained source of thinking,the action of elite of the lineage constituted internal motive power,the approving tacitly of country power provided policy sustain.The fourth one points out the evolution of internal structure of lineage through analysing managerial machinery ,element of the lineage and external showing; the evolution of external structure of lineage through exploring relations between the lineage and the country ,ecnomical base and managerial machinery of village.The fifth part points out social functions of the linesge and managerial suggestion.Basing on assay of obvious-useful and latent-profitless functions,sets forth suggestions as follows:to adjust position,to fortify everyday management,to reinforce the fundamental power,in order to guide the lineage into tract lawful of socialism.The sixth part discusses about hypothesis testing,pattern and feature of lineage and the existing space of lineage.The paper has two charateristics:(a) basing on detailed datum, the evolution of Quan-village lineage is divided into three historical stage (b) the method of analysis is benign intergation between macroscopic and microscopic. It not only shows function of macroscopic elements (such as the Confucianists and society system), but also emphasizes function of microscopic elements (such as the elite of lineage).The paper also puts forward several new items, such as subjunctive lineage assets, upward-downward existing space, and three kinds of relationship between the country and the lineage.