16—18世纪英国贵族的成员流动——质疑“开放的贵族”说

成员流动是贵族阶层维持自身存在的一个必要条件。16—18世纪,英国贵族的成员流动有多种途径。国王的恩宠、有利的婚姻是两个主要的向上流动渠道,但也时常夹杂其他因素,如积聚财富、从政。而家族绝嗣和剥夺爵位则是向下流动的主要渠道。英国贵族成员流动的开放性并没有人们通常以为的那么高,在这一时期,这一流动并不是跨越阶层界限的运动,只是贵族家族的地位变化。英国贵族是一个封闭性较强的社会阶层,并不是"开放的贵族"。

Member Flow of British Aristocrats in the 16th to 18th Century--Querying the Argument of "Open Aristocracy"

The flow of members is an essential condition for the existence of nobility.There are many channels in which English noblemen achieve their nobility between the sixteenth and the eighteenth century.The favor of the King and favourable marriage are the two major channels to flow up.But they are often mixed up with some other factors such as accumulating wealth and joining the government.The extinction of family and the deprivation of title are major channels to flow down.The openness in the flow of members of English nobility is not as high as expected.In this period,the flow of members of English nobility is not an inter strata movement,but the rise and fall of status among noble families.The English nobility is a very self-contained stratum instead of an"open nobility".