At Skinner Model

Skinnerian Model, proposed by a famous expert at Chinese studies named George William Skinner during the period of 1960s-1980s, is a kind of theoretical model for the study of the Chinese society and history in late imperial China. It absorbs theories and approaches from other social and humane studies like economic anthropology, historiography, geography, demography, sociology and ecology, etc., and has influenced a whole generation of Chinese studies scholars. The impact of this model can still been found abroad today, whereas, there is no systematic study on Skinner and his model at home and abroad. My dissertation attempts to make a case study of Skinner from angles of historiography so that it can provide a further understanding of the development of American Chinese studies and their experiences of which we may make use.The current dissertation has made a comprehensive study of Skinnerian Model with methodology of academic history by recounting Skinner's academic career, sorting out Skinnerian Model system, analyzing social and academic backgrounds, and discussing its academic impact from the debates it has aroused in the academic circle and its practice. The dissertation consists of five parts except preface, conclusion and appendix.The first part is an account of Skinner's life and research activities. In 1948, Skinner started his anthropological study and in 1949, he came to Sichuan Province to do fieldwork, from then on he developed a liking for Chinese studies. In his 55-year academic career so far, Skinner has studied Chinese mainland as well as overseas Chinese. He has made an analysis of Chinese history and a tracking observation of Chinese status quo, and thus, in his works, there are both macroscopic theoretical frame and microcosmic case studies, which shows a research of Chinese practical problems and norm and construction the discipline of Chinese studies. His theories are mainly illustrated in such "Marketing and Social Structure in Rural China" (1964-1965), The City in Late Imperial China (1977), and "The structure of Chinese history" (1985). The dissertation does not adapt the two principal models of "marketing system theory" and "macro regional theory" but cracks the spatial structure of Skinnerian Model from macroscopic to microcosmic aspects and temporal structure from microcosmic to macroscopic aspects. Therefore, in our research his theories are divided into 7 parts: 1) macro regional hypothesis; 2) core-periphery theory; 3) Scale and arrangement of center in a regional system; 4) the rule of date arrangement of rural marketing; 5) theory of standard marketing community; 6) changes of traditional marketing and center places; and 7) regional development cycle hypothesis.The second part is mainly an analysis of the academic properties and origins of Skinnerian Model. Theoretically, the model derives primarily from Walter Christaller's central place theory which is also the base and core of the model. Besides, it also makes use of Maurice Freedman's anthropology, George K. Zipf's rank-size theory and Gilbert Rozman's municipal space net hypothesis. In its theoretical dimension, the most obviousIVfeature of Skinnerian Model lies in its combination of research model and original theories. Thus, on the one hand, the model has the functions of other models in guiding and constructing Chinese studies; on the other hand, it is qualified for being the original theory of Chinese studies since the problems under studying are original, the materials are firsthand and the conclusions are creative. Moreover, it constructs the regional system of Chinese traditional society with system theory, displaying another theoretical feature of "Chinese center orientation". In the dimension of methodology, Skinner uses area study to highlight the diversity of Chinese society by adapting such means of quantitative analysis and comparison to show the changes of the society, making advantage of other disciplines' approaches to develop Chinese studies into an authentic social science. In addition, pos...