中国社会管理新格局下遭遇的问题——一种基于中观机制分析的视角

当前学术界关于中国社会管理创新已经形成了一些基本共识,但这些共识基本上是建立在市民社会理论、治理理论和新公共管理理论基础上的,虽然可以在理想类型的意义上为人们思考当代中国社会管理创新提供一种初步的分析框架和认知路径,却无力在中观层面揭示出社会管理实践中诸多组织机制间的复杂因果链条和微妙互动关系。因此,我们需要将理论分析的层次由宏观层面降至中观维度,进而形成一些更具洞察力和分析效力的研究框架。中国的创新社会管理实际上同时面临着两条相互影响的主线:第一条主线是如何适应当前社会分化的客观情境,发展出有中国自身特色的横向秩序协调机制。这个问题的复杂性远远超出诸如"发育社会组织"之类的简单理论预设。第二条主线是如何在纵向秩序协调机制几近高峰的当代中国建立起一种纵横结合的秩序整合新框架。在很大程度上,解决这个问题遇到的挑战并不在于如何设计一些形式上的保障制度,而在于如何在实践中找到一种理性克制纵向秩序整合机制无限自我强化的现实路径。社会管理的创新关键在于如何处理好纵向整合与横向协调机制之间的有效衔接,即以何种方式能够推动公众参与并形成有效的社会协商,在激发社会内在活力的同时来强化纵向秩序的合法性,实现有效的社会整合。

Problems Encountered in the New Pattern of Social Management of China——In the Perspective of Meso Level Mechanism Analysis

The innovation of social management in China actually is facing two orientations which influence each other.One is how to develop a horizontal order coordination mechanism with Chinese characteristics against the background of the current situation of social differentiation.The complexity of this challenge is far beyond those simple theoretical presuppositions like "developing social organizations".The other is how to establish a new integrative framework with both vertical and horizontal order combined together in contemporary China when the vertical order coordination mechanism has almost come to its peak.To a large extent,the challenges to deal with this problem are not how to design some formal security system,but how to find a practical approach in practice to rationally restrain the unlimited self-reinforcement of the vertical order integration mechanism.The crucial innovation of social management lies in an effective connection between the vertical integration mechanism and the horizontal coordination mechanism.This means,it is critical to know how to promote public participation and social consultation,strengthen the legitimacy of the vertical order while activating the inherent social energy,and finally realize an effective social integration.