【作者简介】卫小将，邹林杰，中国人民大学社会学理论与方法研究中心

【文章来源】《社会学评论》2025年第2期

【内容提要】殡葬服务在现代化进程中趋于商品化和去公共化，探索殡葬服务公共性消解的过程与机制具有重要意义。既有研究或从社会政策学角度揭示殡葬市场的畸形扩张，或从社会心理学视角阐释殡葬高消费的形成，前者关注结构，后者关注行动，均忽略了实践情境中结构与行动的复杂交互作用。本研究从政策执行理论与“结构-过程”分析视角出发，以北明县的殡葬实践为例，试图结合具体行动揭示殡葬服务管制结构和丧葬文化制度的演化过程；同时，研究试图把实践场域的行动、规则与宏观社会相连接，将个案拓展至社会结构层面。研究发现，层级式行政框架构筑了殡葬管制实践的界限，殡葬市场逐渐成为管制外的飞地；社会经济转型使得越来越多的白事理事趋于理性化，他们与殡葬商贩的共谋使得丧主不得不选择市场服务。二者相互作用，消解了殡葬服务的公共性。

【关键词】公共性 / 管制结构 / 文化制度 / 结构-过程分析

【全文链接】http://src.ruc.edu.cn/CN/Y2025/V13/I2/167

Regulatory Structure, Cultural Institution, and the Dissolution of the Publicness of Funeral Services

Abstract: Funeral services tend to become“commodified”and“de-publicized” in the process of modernization, and exploring the process and mechanism of dissolving their publicness is of great significance. Some studies reveal the abnormal expansion of the funeral market from the perspective of social policy, while others interpret the formation of high funeral consumption from the perspective of social psychology. These two explanations either overly focus on structure or place too much emphasis on action, neglecting the complex interaction between structure and action in practical situations. To address this issue, this article uses the policy implementation theory and the“structure-process”analytical perspective, taking the funeral practice in Beiming County as an example, and combines specific actions to reveal the evolution process of funeral service regulatory structures and funeral culture systems. At the same time, this article connects actions and rules in practical fields with macro-society and expands this individual case to the level of social structure. Consequently, it is discovered that a hierarchical administrative framework has established thresholds for funeral service regulation practices, gradually turning the funeral market into an unregulated enclave. In addition, socio-economic transformation has made funeral arrangements tend towards rationalization; their collusion with funeral vendors forces the bereaved to choose market services. The intertwined effect of these two factors undermines the public nature of funeral services.