"Knowledge from reality" in investigation and research"

Investigation and research is the foundation of planning and the way to success. Sociologist Fei Xiaotong regards investigation and research as an important method of sociological research, and learning and summarizing his spirit, style and methods of investigation and research is not without enlightenment for us to make good use of the "heirloom" of investigation and research.

　　People's care

Investigation and research is an important way for Fei Xiaotong to understand the society. From a macro perspective, Fei Xiaotong's academic pursuit is to transform human society with social science knowledge. He mentioned that investigation and research are for the benefit of the people, for the common security and prosperity of the vast majority of people and even all mankind.
Fei Xiaotong said: Before the founding of New China, what pushed me to investigate and study was the salvation of our nation ...... We were seeking a way out for our nation, and this determined the topic of our investigation and study. The victory of the people's revolution has enabled us to completely change the status of colonies and semi-colonies in the past ...... The question before the Chinese people is how to quickly build a modern socialist country. To solve this problem, scientific knowledge is needed, which leads to the general direction of Chinese social science after the founding of new China.
Fei Xiaotong began with rural studies, followed by ethnic studies, and then carried out different types of studies such as small town surveys and intellectual surveys. He likened the study of small towns and ethnic issues to the two eyes of China's big chess game, and the linkage of these two eyes made China's whole life alive.
In the study of ethnic issues, he believes that China is like a big family. To manage such a big family well, it is necessary to find out what different ethnic groups and different groups there are in this big family. He was personally responsible for investigating different ethnic groups in the southern area, recognizing the value of the existence of "small ethnic groups", and putting forward the concept of ethnic corridors.
On the development of small towns, Fei Xiaotong, on the basis of analyzing China's national conditions, proposed development models suitable for different regions, such as the Sunan model, Wenzhou model, Pearl River model and so on.
In addition, in the investigation and research of intellectuals, Fei Xiaotong believes that intellectuals are linked to the country's talent strategy, and suggests that the country attach importance to intellectuals and talents.

　　Practice-driven

The core issues that Fei Xiaotong pursues in investigation and research are "seeking knowledge from reality" and "getting rich from the people". He always insisted on starting from reality, paying attention to the specific villages and people around him realistically, and using feasible methods to solve practical problems.
Fei calls this kind of applied research micro-research. Micro-research is a comprehensive and systematic study of the social life of residents in certain places, within the scope of direct observation, combined with local people.
He clearly pointed out: "(To understand the Chinese society) First, proceed from the reality and explore the objective law by seeking truth from facts. The way of science lies in seeking truth from facts, and scientific conclusions cannot rely on subjective conjecture." Later, he Secondary specialized school the door in the book "Confessions of Social Investigation": "The mastery of specific methods cannot be separated from the guidance of methodology. To sum up, it is three sentences. Adhere to the guidance of Marxist-Leninist theory, seek truth from facts, and integrate theory with practice."
In the course of his investigation in Lu Village, Fei Xiaotong found the problem of uneven distribution of labor caused by busy farming and slack farming. He hopes to introduce the experience of other villages with more developed commercial economy into the more closed Lu Village.
Fei Xiaotong's investigation and research is a front-line investigation and integration into the specific production and life of the village. Although there was some basic information at that time, he still went to Lu Village, Yi Village and Jiang Village to carry out field research and lived in Tudor Temple, Wenchang Palace and villagers' homes.
Fei Xiaotong paid special attention to the verification of details. For example, he took broad beans and rice from Lu Village as the subjects of investigation, listed the farming calendar, and marked the temperature and rainfall. Through comprehensive observation and analysis, it is concluded that rice and broad bean are very suitable crops to grow in this area.
Yi Village's manual workshop experience is also very detailed, including raw materials, tools, processes, manpower and capital. In "Revisiting Three Villages in Yunnan," he said, "We see two different kinds of handicrafts in Yicun. One is the sideline of poor households using their surplus labor to weave bamboo strips to supplement their livelihoods. This kind of sideline business does not need investment. Bamboo forests can be planted by the river as raw materials, and the tools are relatively simple. A flat knife for splitting bamboo is enough... Another kind of handicraft industry is the manufacture of native paper, which is essentially a workshop industry."
He also learned in the investigation: "The product has to go through a certain production process. First, the bamboo is chopped into fine pieces, soaked and dried for several times, then it is ground into pulp, then it is scooped into wet paper with a bamboo curtain, and dried on the stove wall. This set of manufacturing process, in addition to scooping paper and drying paper requires specialized skills, generally do not require special training. However, a set of workshop equipment such as bubble wells and baking stoves is needed. There is also a sum of money: raw materials to be purchased, equipment to be built, and skilled workers to be paid."

　　system thinking

Fei Xiaotong's macro feelings and micro concerns are highly integrated. He started his research from small villages such as Lu Village and Yi Village, and then jumped out of specific villages to analyze different types of rural social structures in China, eventually forming the theory of "differential pattern.
Among them, Lu Village represents the more traditional closed type, Jiang Village represents the type influenced by industry and commerce, and Yi Village (workshop type) belongs to the intermediate type, which constitutes the basic type of rural China.
Fei Xiaotong's doctoral thesis, "Open String Bow, a Peasant's Life in Rural China", was once accused of not being able to cover different types of villages across the country. In fact, his purpose is to understand Chinese society, and not only part of Chinese society shown in this small village, but also to understand a broader and more complex Chinese society.
Fei Xiaotong stressed that in the analysis, we must first classify the collected data. Classification is to combine the same things and distinguish different things according to the provisions of a certain nature. A provision of this nature is the commonality of such things. Therefore, he started from Lu Village and continued to investigate Yi Village and Jiang Village to form "Three Villages in Yunnan".
Taking agriculture as the main line, we further understand and analyze the traditional rural social relations, production relations and productivity development level in China, and analyze the rural economic society and rural interpersonal pattern from the overall height, and gradually construct the theory of Chinese rural social types and "rural China" The important foundation of the theory.

Investigation and research is the heirloom of our party and the basic skill for doing all kinds of work well. To stimulate thoughts in the field and promote development with thoughts is the essence of investigation and research. Fei Xiaotong's investigation and research has always carried out the idea of "aspiring to enrich the people", reflecting the unity of part and whole, micro and macro, present and future.

Source: China Organization and Personnel News