改革开放以来宋史研究若干热点问题述评

改革开放以来,宋史研究取得长足进步,这不仅表现为典章制度史、财政问题与部门经济史、城市史、人口史、货币史、区域经济史、法制史、社会史、家族史、妇女婚姻、文化思想等领域都有颇见功力的专著问世,而且对诸多热点问题,如历史分期与宋代的历史地位、积贫积弱、宋代经济发展水平、南宋历史地位、皇帝与士大夫共治天下、宋太祖不杀大臣、相权消长、士风、士人转型与唐宋变革以及王安石变法等都有广泛而深入的讨论,大大推进了对宋代在中国历史上的地位及其特点的认识。思想解放、研究方法和倾向的多样化、宋代文献的整理和出版均对宋史研究的进步产生了巨大的推动作用。但研究中也存在不讲求学术规范、重复研究、短期速成等缺陷。     

Fighting for recognition: feminist geography in East-Central Europe

In East-Central Europe (ECE), the evolution of feminist geographies began after the end of state socialism. Aiming to identify individual and shared characteristics, this study outlines the development of gender/feminist geography in East-Central European countries. Providing a brief historical overview, the first part of the article substantiates the arguments that i) the evolution of feminist geography in ECE is linked to the post-socialist transition; although the fall of state socialism has removed the political, social and ideological obstacles that prevented its gaining ground, this approach is still considered to be relatively new; and ii) today, development is hindered mainly by conservative mainstream geography, which seems slower in transforming itself than in some related disciplines which have ‘embraced’ gender studies. The topics, methods and theories of feminist geography that have developed in ECE is significantly influenced by the resistance that advocates of feminist geography have to contend with from representatives of mainstream post-socialist geographies. The second part of the article presents the major characteristics of gender/feminist geography in Europe's post-socialist region, while providing an outline of the various methods used in an attempt to earn positive recognition for gender studies. The concluding section maps some lessons to be learnt on the relationship between the production of feminist geographical knowledge and post-socialism.     

改革开放以来的中国基督教史研究

改革开放以来,中国历史学发展的新景象之一就是中国基督教史研究的兴起。这一新兴领域的发展,首先,体现于多种研究范式的存续和转移,文化侵略、中西文化交流、现代化、全球化等范式下的研究成果体现了各自不同的解释力与学术影响。其次,则体现于研究焦点的流变,从基督教与中国社会的现代性变迁、基督教与中西关系,直到关注中国基督教自身的个性化发展,呈现了从研究基督教外围向内部移动的趋势。最后,体现于这一领域的开放性和成长性。基于中国基督教的区域史、性别史、宗教史、宗派史及人物史仍有相当的研究空间,同时随着网络资料和海外档案的获取能力加强,跨文化史料与视野下的研究,将成为这一学科新的增长点。     

Innovation platforms as a solution to the proximity paradox

The paper studies what kind of proximities and distances can be found in complex innovation environments. Case-study methods were used, with the research strategy building on experiences of creating a regional innovation platform aimed at development of new models for collaborative co-operation between the private, public and third sector in the context of physical-activity promotion. Building the innovation platform brought various proximities and distances between actors into focus. Distances may explain why some of the actions have not been successful or why some actions involved should be repeated several times. However, this study also highlights the role of distances as sources of various innovation. Distances and proximities are not static, and they could be exploited from a position of knowledge.     

严修《东游日记》中的黔籍留日学生

清未,在贵州学政严修竭力推崇东西洋文明的启蒙下,开启黔人跨出国门,学习法政、科技、教育,探寻国家复兴之路。1902年至1904年,严修两次东游日本,与黔籍留日学生频繁往还交流,又增添了一层深厚的师友之情。黔籍留日学生回国,又多得严修人脉的多方推荐和关照,为贵州乃至全国培养造就了一批民国初年崭露头角、驰骋政坛及文化教育界之俊杰。     

The gender dimension of business elites: Italian women directors since 1934

Abstract

Gender is an important, albeit understudied, dimension in the analysis of business elites. In this paper we analyze the importance of women in the board of directors of listed Italian companies since 1934. We show that women are less represented in boards in Italy than in other comparable OECD countries, but also that listed companies are less open to women than other centres of powers, such as the public administration and liberal professions. In addition, in a country where board interlocking is a key device to ensure separation between ownership and control, very few women hold multiple directorships. We then present the results of a prosopographical study on women directors in seven benchmark years: 1962, 1970, 1978, 1986, 1994, 2002, and 2007. We conclude with a discussion of various policy options to enhance gender diversification on the boards of Italian listed companies.     

The Case of the Case History: Detecting the Medical Report in Sherlock Holmes

Critics have examined both the influence of the medical case model and the newer laboratory sciences on Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes tales, but they have often overlooked key aspects of the stories' turn-of-the-century historical context. I argue that in response to the indefinite rewards offered by the up-and-coming laboratory sciences and the grandiose claims of many of those practicing these sciences, Conan Doyle chose to circle back to an earlier clinical method and to echo a type of case narrative that provides both closure and disclosure via post-mortem exam. Thus, Conan Doyle's stories, with their breakdown into Watsonian history and Holmesian summation, register the value of clinical procedures by using the established medical case study that ends in autopsy as a template. In his fictional echoing of the case culminating in post-mortem exam, Conan Doyle's Holmes stories draw attention to the accuracy of knowledge that only such cases can provide, and in doing so, Conan Doyle highlights the uncertainty inherent in both many Victorian medical practices and the unproven laboratory sciences of the day – an uncertainty, the tales suggest, that could only be remedied by accruing information through this particularly revealing type of case documentation. In the process, the Holmes tales reflect on the case's unique ability to narrate a type of resolution which cannot be otherwise represented. In its emphasis on making comprehensible that which defies mastery through other means lies the case's essential fit with literary narrative more generally – and narratives of detection like the Holmes stories, in particular.     

Learning to design cultural districts and learning from designing them

Cultural districts are becoming an important field of study to promote a growing number of initiatives for local development. Despite substantial research in this field, knowledge gaps remain, especially with regard to initiatives at supra-urban level. Many policy-makers, funding agencies, local administrators and managers still face important design issues. This paper contributes to the developing body of theory on cultural districts in two ways. Firstly, focusing on concepts from complexity theory, it expands the debate on the conception of cultural districts as complex adaptive systems. Secondly, it highlights the dysfunctional tensions that can arise from conflicting ways of conceiving organizations, organizing and designing among ‘promoters’ and designers. We have been involved for three years in a large project aimed at designing a wide supra-urban cultural district in Italy, financed by a major banking foundation. Adopting an organizational perspective and through participative action research, we develop an explorative case study. Our core argument is that a linear, predictable and deterministic approach to analysis and design presents many limitations for such complex projects, offering learning opportunities from the design experience.