Page 117 - 《社会》2026年第1期

社会·2026·1

others succeeded. This paper examines the Pingxiang Coal Mines as one such
relatively successful case. It argues that the stratification and internal connections
within the gentry class played a crucial role in integrating the enterprise into local
society. Upper鄄tier gentry figures such as Wen Tingshi served a dual role as both
state bureaucrats and local elites. The ethical and interest tensions inherent in these
identities fostered a persuasive transmission process from self鄄strengthening
bureaucrats to upper gentry and further to lower鄄tier elites. Local gentry， drawing
upon existing gentry networks， formed an intermediary group that facilitated
communication between enterprises and local communities， promoting the alignment
of interests between the two. As a result， the Pingxiang Coal Mines achieved large鄄
scale acquisition of local industries and the initiation of modern industrial
production， thereby driving much broader social transformation. This paper suggests
that， under specific historical conditions， the collision between China’s traditional
social environment and modern industry may have configured to forge a unique
development trajectory， generating a new power鄄interest structure between
enterprises and local society， triggering industrial transformation and comprehensive
social change. The paper reveals the intrinsic connection between China’s
industrial development and social transformation， providing a reference point for
understanding contemporary relations between enterprises and society.
Keywords：gentry， modern industry， social transformation， localism， Pingxiang
Coal Mines

一、 问题的提出与案例选择

现代工业以大资本、机械化和规模性生产为特征，它的出现成就了
现代文明，也是社会学诞生的初始原因。 关于现代工业创生和发展的社
会环境， 经典研究强调普遍性法律与现代国家政权的重要性 （韦伯，
2010），并且认为强力政权对于后发国家尤其关键，不独欧洲的德国、俄
国如此，东亚的日本亦然（ Gerschenkron，1962；朱荫贵，1994）。 此后的研
究聚焦于不同国家或地区社会环境中的结构性特征与现代工业发展之
间的关联（ Chandavarkar，1994；中村尚史，2010；Tilly and Kopsidis，2020），
并且逐渐跳出了“社会环境有利或不利于工业发展”的二元判断，试图
阐释国家或地区社会形态的历史展开如何形塑出特定的工业组织体制
（ organizational regime）的问题（Perrow，2002；道宾，2008）。

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