生命历程刍议

生命历程已经成为国际社会科学,尤其是人口研究的一个重要范式,但中文学界对其了解仍存不足。在研究中采用生命历程视角,必须首先了解它的知识传统、关键概念与研究手段。通过对知识传承的分析,我们发现,生命历程研究受惠于生命跨度理路、社会关系、生命周期与地位获取视角以及年龄与历时性研究;它以累积和转折点为两个关键概念;主要研究手段包括追溯性生命历史研究和前瞻性生命历史研究。

The Life Course:Intellectual Roots,Key Concepts,and Research Methods

Life course has become a paradigm in social sciences,particularly demographic research.However,it is still largely unknown to Chinese academia.To apply the life course perspective to relevant research,we must first learn its intellectual roots,key concepts,and major research methods.By surveying classic studies,we find that life course research is rooted in life span approach,the perspectives of relationships,life cycle and status attainment,as well as the thinking about age and temporality.Its two key concepts are cumulation and turning point.Its major research methods include retrospective and prospective life history studies.