Hakka Literature. Zen - A Conversation with Cheng Xianzhang

Author: Zeng Lingcun / Country: Mainland China
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-08-01
Features: I think this is equivalent to saying nothing. Discussing how Hakka culture integrates with the connotation and character of the entire Han culture seems plausible, but in reality, it dissolves the ethnic identity of Hakka culture. The "Southward Migration Theory" shackles and influences Hakka studies, including Hakka culture, as it subtly guides subsequent researchers to explore the connotation of Hakka culture from the perspective of traditional Chinese culture in the Central Plains. This makes people's understanding of the unique characteristics of Hakka culture always blurred within the context of traditional Chinese culture. Clan concepts, bloodline awareness, the tradition of "extending filial piety to the end and honoring ancestors," the mindset of valuing education and culture, and a strong sense of family and nation, as well as the spirit of diligence, frugality, hardship, and pioneering—all these long-discussed core elements of Hakka culture are, in fact, characteristics that traditional Chinese culture has historically possessed as well. Therefore, I believe that to fundamentally change the stagnation in Hakka studies, shifting perspectives and updating methods are the most crucial approaches.
In the over-100-year history of Western cultural anthropology, empirical research through "fieldwork" has always been a basic research method adopted by various schools of thought. In ethnic (ethnic group) cultural studies, the acquisition of primary materials such as lifestyles, customs, and religious beliefs largely depends on in-depth "fieldwork" among the people. Proposing this shift to empirical research methods through regional field investigations does not negate the efforts made by some scholars in the 20th century in this regard. However, it must be acknowledged that in Hakka studies, this empirical research method was once merely used as a supplementary tool or existed in a spontaneous, "roaming" state. It was only after the 1990s, with the rise of the "Hakka fever" and the involvement of external research forces, that "fieldwork" began to expand. To further deepen and standardize it, from a broader perspective, I believe these two aspects are meaningful for applying the "fieldwork" research method: one is how to move from collecting and organizing perceptual materials and describing phenomena to theoretical argumentation. P88