Page 1 of 17
Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal – Vol. 9, No. 6
Publication Date: June 25, 2022
DOI:10.14738/assrj.96.12590. Tian, R. G. (2022). Shi Zhengyi on Basic Theoretical Issues of Ethnologic Economics. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal,
9(6). 353-369.
Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom
Shi Zhengyi on Basic Theoretical Issues of Ethnologic Economics
Robert Guang Tian
Huaihua University, Hunan, China
rgtian@yahoo.com
ABSTRACT
This paper aims to introduce Professor Shi Zhengyi’s early theoretical views and
contributions to ethnologic economics to the international academic community.
China’s ethnic minorities live in the western regions, and their economic and
social development for a long time has been far behind that of the eastern and
central areas where the Han majority live. Professor Shi Zhengyi proposed in
March 1979 that China needed to establish and develop ethnologic economics. It is
a particular branch of economics in China with solid Chinese characteristics.
Ethnologic economics, starting from the status and role of ethnic factors in
economic activities, studies the economic changes and economic relations of
ethnic groups or ethnic regions. The ethnologic economy has the characteristics of
duality and diversity, which is the starting point of the study of national
economics. Ethnologic economics has adapted to the national conditions of China’s
multi-ethnic country and the needs of China’s modernization drive. It has the dual
disciplinary attribution of Ethnology and economics. It is hoped that the
international academic community will be interested in ethnologic economics. It is
also hoped that they can apply the research results of Chinese ethnologic
economists to promote societies in other countries similar to China’s ethnic
minority areas’ economic development.
Keywords: Ethnologic Economics, Ethnic Minorities, Ethnic Minority Areas, Economic
Development
INTRODUCTION
China is a large united, multi-ethnic country with 55 ethnic minorities in addition to the Han
majority. Due to historical and natural reasons, most of China’s ethnic minorities live in the
western regions. Their economic and social development for a long time has been far behind
that of the eastern and central regions where the Han majority people live (Tian, 2021). Since
the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, significant achievements have been
made in the economic and social development of ethnic minority areas in China under the
strong support of the central government. Nevertheless, there is still a long way to go
compared with the developed areas in the east (Li, 2004). Professor Shi Zhengyi proposed at
the National Economic Science Eight-year Planning Conference in Beijing in March 1979 that
China needed to establish and develop ethnologic economics because of China’s actual
national conditions and the current economic and social development situation in minority
areas (Dong, 2006).
Ethnologic economics is a particular branch of economics in China, so it has strong Chinese
characteristics. At the end of the 1970s and earlier 1980s, in Chinese academic circles,
Page 2 of 17
354
Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal (ASSRJ) Vol. 9, Issue 6, June-2022
Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom
especially in the intellectual process of ethnic economics, scholars believed that the
economics of ethnic minorities is an essential part of Chinese economics. They thought that
when studying ethnologic economics, it is necessary to take Chinese economics as the basis
and premise. They further believed doing so would allow them to reveal the originality of the
economy of ethnic minorities in an in-depth and systematic way. They argued that only in this
way can China promote the economic development of ethnic minorities and China’s economy
(Liu, 2009). Therefore, Professor Shi Zhengyi and his colleagues conducted a series of
theoretical studies on the creation and development of ethnologic economics and published
some high-level academic articles (Ye, 2004).
This paper aims to introduce Professor Shi Zhengyi’s early theoretical views and
contributions to ethnic economics to the international academic circle. It should be pointed
out that all the contents of this paper are from The Collection of Shi Zhengyi, published by
Professor Shi Zhengyi in 2001. The author only systematically sorted out, translated and
edited Professor Shi’s theoretical exposition. Therefore, all the academic contributions of this
paper are attributed to Professor Shi Zhengyi. Of course, the author must be responsible for
the mistakes in the article. Professor Shi Zhengyi stresses that ethnologic economics is a new
discipline. It occupies a particular position in ethnology and has become the main content of
ethnic research. At the same time, it also occupies a prominent role in economics. As such, it
has become a particular field in economic analysis. Therefore, studying ethnologic economics
in China is critical (Shi, 2001:495).
THE RESEARCH OBJECT OF ETHNOLOGIC ECONOMICS
Ethnologic economics has a relatively short history. As an independent discipline initially
established in earlier 1980s, it is still in its infancy. This fact mainly reflects how the Chinese
academic circle’s understanding of the research object of ethnologic economics has
developed. Regarding its research object, researchers have proposed several different
explanations or definitions:
1. Some scholars believe that, in simple terms, the research object of ethnologic economics
is the economic issues of ethnic groups. These scholars believe that, broadly, ethnologic
economics studies the economic problems of a specific ethnic group or some ethnic
groups. It examines economic issues from the perspective of ethnology, or, in other
words, it studies ethnic issues from the economic outlook. Its research object covers
ethnological economic problems in both foreign countries and China. In a narrow sense,
the research object of ethnologic economics is the economic issues of ethnic minorities in
China. It includes multiple aspects. The economic issues of an ethnic group can be its
unique research object, and so can the economic issues of an ethnic area where several
ethnic minorities live. In addition, the economic issues of all ethnic minorities can also be
its comprehensive research object (Shi, 1980).
2. Some researchers argue that ethnologic economics is a discipline that studies ethnologic
economic issues. It is integrated with ethnology and economics and uses these two
disciplines’ basic principles and techniques. The ethnologic economy looks at the society
and economy of ethnic minorities. It is to discover the particular laws of the ethnologic
economy (Dong, 1983).
3. Some people hold that the determination of the research object and tasks of China’s
economics of ethnic minorities should be based on China’s established socialist system
Page 3 of 17
355
Tian, R. G. (2022). Shi Zhengyi on Basic Theoretical Issues of Ethnologic Economics. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 9(6). 353-369.
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.96.12590
and its existing production relations. It should study the elimination of de facto
inequalities among ethnic groups. Its task should be to reveal the laws of this issue. In this
way, its research object and tasks have actual scientific content. There is a clear line
between this discipline and political economics. Simultaneously, it is not unreasonably
confused with ethnology. It has an organic connection to policy issues, thus avoiding the
situation of all-encompassing policy research (Shi, 1983).
4. Some researchers believe the ethnic minority economy is a social science. In the field of
social phenomena, it examines the socio-economic phenomenon of the ethnologic
economy and its contradictions. It studies the contradictions of China’s ethnologic
economy and its characteristics and laws in social and economic development. Therefore,
it does not explore the natural aspects of the ethnologic economy but the social aspects. In
other words, it studies the ethnologic economy’s social production modes (mainly
production relations) and reveals its characteristics, structures and laws (Huang, 1983).
5. Some scholars believe that the economy of ethnic minorities studies the living conditions
of ethnic minorities and the characteristics of the economic life of ethnic minorities. It
examines the living habits of ethnic minorities and the influence of cultural traditions and
cultural levels on their economic life (including production, distribution, exchange and
consumption). The economy of ethnic minorities is inseparable from the economy of
ethnic minority areas. However, they are different concepts. The economy of ethnic
minorities studies economic issues from the perspective of ethnology rather than from
the perspective of regions. Since they are other concepts, we should also examine the
relationship between the economy of ethnic minorities and the economy of ethnic
minority areas (Yu, 1983).
These five definitions are the initial views put forward by the first group of Chinese scholars
engaged in the research of ethnologic economics in the late 1970s and early 1980s. They
reflect the researchers understanding of the research object of ethnologic economics at that
time. The above views have some things in common. They all emphasize the importance of
studying the ethnologic economy in China, and they all advocate the creation of a new
discipline. However, there are also significant differences. There are several different
proposals regarding the name of the domain. Some suggest it be named ethnologic economics.
Others suggest it be called China’s economics of ethnic minorities, the economy of ethnic
minorities, or the economy of ethnic minority areas.
There are also different views on the scope of the study. Scholars who advocate naming this
ethnologic discipline economics maintain that it should study the economic issues of ethnic
groups and ethnic minority areas in China and those of other countries. While the discipline is
named China’s economics of ethnic minorities, the economy of ethnic minorities and the
economy of ethnic minority areas, the research scope is only on the economic issues of China’s
ethnic minorities and ethnic minority areas. The former can be called ethnologic economics in
a broad sense, and the latter can be called ethnologic economics in a narrow sense.
In addition, there are significant differences between the above views regarding the research
object. Some ideas only emphasize the relations of production. Unlike political economics,
only the social production relations of the ethnic minorities are studied in this discipline,
while the production relations of the Han nationality are not included. Another view is that