「Visiting Notes」哈佛访学印记

哈佛访学印记

Engraving Harvard

《中国社会学杂志》（ The Journal of Chinese Sociology ）编辑部跟我联系说官微要开辟访学见闻或经验谈板块，邀请我中英混搭地写写在哈佛访学的趣事。但其实总的来说来哈佛可没那么有趣，挺苦逼啊。

我想大家主要对哈佛感兴趣，所以我重点谈我对哈佛人的印象，但抱歉我不能谈大家可能更感兴趣的大牛教授们的学术逸闻趣事，我不知道那也不礼貌；还有另几个大家可能感兴趣的问题：你怎么去了哈佛、有何经验、收获什么 。

一、 怎么我就来了哈佛

How did I come to Harvard

2014年8月哈佛大学的Frank Dobbin来武汉大学讲学，作为从武大转调到华中科技大学的老师，我自然地就想把他请到华中科大来交流一下。先跑去武大听他的讲座，当时他在做公司的多样性研究，我提了问题，他回答时评论一句说你提的问题实际上是我接下来要做的。然后请他到华科来做讲座，我又提了两个问题，他回答的时候又说：实际上这也是我考虑接下来研究的问题一部分，它们相互关联。后来他跟我开玩笑说：你是不是能听到我在哈佛开会？

我笑说：尚不能，但不知未来呢。请问您接待访学吗，我有机会吗？我做组织研究，具体关注技术在组织中的应用……

In August 2014, Professor Frank Dobbin from Harvard University visited Wuhan. During two lectures on his diversity research on corporations, I asked him three questions. He commented that the questions were interrelated and amazingly predicting his future research interests. He joked that he thought I could hear his research meetings at Harvard. I smiled and answered, "Not yet. But I wonder if I could have an opportunity in the near future. Do you have any plan to host a visiting scholar and do I stand a chance？ Look, I conduct research on…... blablabla."

That was how the story started.

之后我就跟Frank和系里正式提出申请，周长城老师做重要推荐，然后我便高高兴兴地来了哈佛。

社会学者要勇于面对真实，承认对于以中文写作的人文社科学者而言，结构性的社会网络包括高校间的官方合作平台，以及冥冥之中的运气、时机、缘分这类不可测，偶然的谈话这种不可控的东西，都远比学者个人的努力在提供访学机会上更具决定作用。而理工科也包括主要用英文写作的社科学者因为国内外的发表平台一致，国外host 的教授比较能够去背景化地准确理解你的研究，这样的国内学者通过定向盲投简历和项目申请对接成功的概率会高很多。

Then I applied officially, and Professor Changcheng Zhou did me a great favor to be my referral. Compared with researchers who publish their work in English so that the potential host professors can understand their work without any language barrier, social scientists who publish in Chinese may rely more on the networks (personal and official), as well as luck.

在哈佛已两年，我要特别感谢Frank人很nice，总是耐心、宽容，给予明确指导，诸多帮助。感谢他那些与我一起混过的博士生们，有的一直相处愉快无话不聊，有的是初次见面就剑拔弩张干一仗然后和好；大家偶尔在办公室碰面，逢日子去吃饭，比赛讲秘密、讨论选题，分享看法，彼此激荡思维。感谢系里的中国同学们，用中文表达好畅快呀，有些人我们曾经一起探讨个问题一聊就好长。

I’ve been at Harvard for two years. I owe deep debt to Frank, for his kindness, patience and gentleness, always giving clear suggestions when he directs, and helping me in many respects. I also appreciate his Ph. D. candidates，the students in his classes and the Chinese researchers in the department, with whom I hang out, share life stories, and brainstorm research plans. They have enlightened me.

二、哈佛人印象

What’s Harvard people like?

哈佛人在关注什么，他们是怎样的？那就去听听他们怎么说，看看他们怎么做，问问他们怎么想吧。

在哈佛，大家在电梯、走廊、Common Room碰面了，如果彼此略熟悉，对话大概是这样的：Hi,最近好吗？——Good. Good. How are you?——Never better.——最近做什么研究？/上次那个研究怎样了？——Blabla. ——哇，一颗赛艇，音捶撕艇……你可以去读读谁的文章……——多谢提醒，在哪里发表来着……——回头我找出来给你发邮件。——太棒了，谢谢。关于这个研究我有个迷惑，可以跟你聊聊吗？——好啊，也许这周什么时间，给我邮件？——Ok，我稍后check 一下schedule联系你。

我办公室的人跟我初次见面谈话如下：Min, welcome. Nice to meet you…… What’s your research topic?……噢，因催死挺，我知道有个人跟你做的可能相关，下次我介绍你们认识，一起聊聊……（当时我就被震住了，必须眨着眼睛来缓解心情……怎么来得那么快？对学术的热爱太赤裸裸……可以先缓一下吗，访学攻略上不是说应该先从跟我聊中国功夫或饺子开始吗？…… ）

On campus, the conversation usually starts from brief social greetings and then jumps into the research discussion. How are you? So how’s your research going?  Or Nice to meet you. Where are you from? Oh... So what’s your research interest? You look great...So what’s new about your research?

他们专注于自己的研究，也对别人的研究保持开放态度，愿意去了解，并且去帮助。在哈佛，大家各做各的研究，但并不能说都是我们通常理解中的高大上，这里的研究很多元化，接纳各种风格。美国教授同学们之间都比较客气，鼓励为主，帮助提供文献线索，提供具体的写作修改建议，“如果我是你我会怎么做……”，总之不管多千疮百孔的idea雏形与初步框架都是值得尝试与鼓励的，边做边完善嘛，毕竟大家都被假定是既聪明又努力、自我要求高的人。这跟国内的学术交流中比较常见批评性意见，有时候狠起来以至于被评议者不禁举手问苍天、连带人生都怀疑的风格大不相同。来这里四个月经过一次大的culture shock后我才弄明白，当他们说interesting的时候你千万不要认为人家对你真的有兴趣，其实意思是Just so so 或者哦这样啊约等于语气词，当他们说very good 那是good，当他们说great, awesome, wonderful，那才等于very good。

一次上课我提到中国企业里的党组织现象，下课后有两个同学来跟我聊说你提到那个中国现象很有意思。我龇牙啮齿地说：Don’t fool me. You think I do not know what you American academics mean by "interesting"? 他们愣一下继而哈哈大笑：Yes, but we are originally Indian!

They are very much devoted to their research and are open to hear about other people' projects. They are always trying to help as well. At Harvard, people are free to pursue the topics they are interested in. All research genres are welcome. Diversity and inclusion root in its culture.

People here tend to encourage you and give positive suggestions when hearing about your research rather than criticizing. Everybody are supposed to be self-motivated, highly responsible for and be most critical to his own research.

After experiencing an embarassing academic culture shock for the first four months, I finally got to know their secrete codes for comments . "Interesting" means "just so so" ; "Very good" means "good"; "Great and excellent" means "very good". Hey, Harvard, now you can’t fool me!

来了哈佛我常常被问到哈佛人是不是半夜四点钟还在挑灯夜战，我本以为这是个常识问题……但是……好吧，我还是抱着实证精神去问他们每天的时间安排。一般来说博士的时间比较自由，自主写论文期间自己安排好了没那么紧张，因制度背景不同，这里的老师并不会让学生帮忙做什么项目，学生们就只做自己感兴趣的研究 、跟老师讨论之类的。但是硕、本比较辛苦，上课期间他们的课程阅读量大，自我要求又高，总想拿第一；校园活动非常多尤其是体育活动，还有各种学生会活动音乐、戏剧、政治、公益、宗教等等，又要社交，大多又是不健身毋宁死型生活方式，所以学生一般是睡得比较少，尤其是第一年来哈佛的，每天要“努力争取”实现睡4-5个小时。哈佛的学生就是传说中那类比你优秀还比你努力的人。但你也不要想多了，他们比较的人不会是你，是他身边人，他的努力匹配他的竞争环境以及他面对的要求，大家都差不多，觉得正常。我倒是觉得那些出了那个环境，掉到低竞争环境里还能自我强驱动，成就动机小马达哄哄个不停进行自我革新的人更值得佩服。明明还可以继续靠天吃饭二十年，却非要自我逼迫不断革新进取的人，比如《社会学研究》编辑部。这不，又整新板块了。呵呵，抱歉，我未经允许帮忙打广告了。

It is a cliché that Harvard students stay up very late all year round. Of course, it is Harvard, where life is extremely demanding. How could it not be? Talents cluster and people are constantly competing with each other. Everyone wants to be No. 1 in their academic studies and excel in fields more than the academia . They try to sleep 4-5 hours every day in the first year and stay up all night before the examination. They work hard and have strong motivation. But most importantly, they do things in a smart way. Long-term sleep deprivation is not a smart choice.

同学、同事之间也闲聊，吃饭时候。主要是两个主题：中美新闻以及家庭。前者比如什么congratulations，听说中国二胎政策了……天，以前一胎的时候你们怎么办呢，现在二胎了你们会怎么样？我就向他们推荐国内人口学家的研究。或者我说，无意冒犯啊但是为什么你们选个总统哭成那样呢？我们有了新主席大家总是很高兴的。于是我们就开始闲聊政治制度类型及其差异。关于家庭，来美之前只觉得他们谈恋爱大概比我们欢脱，来后方知与我们对应的那群人他们对家庭、婚恋的态度大多比我们保守，对家庭也更投入。大家挺乐意分享家庭趣事的，关于亲密关系、亲子关系，与祖辈关系的思考等等。我自诩对家庭的观察与思考较一般人多，但我在哈佛跟人谈家庭却从来没赢过！坐我身后的帅哥做金融制度跨国比较，有一天他就扯到家庭和工作平衡及压力问题，就那么有理有据有案例有分析地跟我聊他的家庭治理艺术，一聊2个多小时，我根本插不上话。直到我大喊说：你得给我钱，我一直听，你知道我也是咨询师吗？他笑说：OK，那现在哈佛博士听你讲，两不相欠怎样？ 某天在Common Room里遇见个被大雨拦住的商学院博士，他之前是个企业的CEO，不知如何就讲起来基督家庭伦理、爱情，那理论一套一套的没个完，还好那天窗外的雨停得比较快。我曾经奇怪地问你们男人为什么有兴趣谈论家庭？人家则奇怪地反问：Why not? This is a very important part of my life. 我讷讷不能明言，在中国，男人们谈论家庭会显得好Low吧。当然他们不仅对家庭想得多，而且做得也多。我的外导研究经济社会学，是个家庭工作平衡大师，他总能按约定时间回家跟孩子们和狗一起玩耍，给他们时间。你跟教授们聊假期安排，他们开口就是不确定我要先跟孩子们和妻子商量，还没孩子的就是我得先问问我老婆的schedule……有时我仿佛有时空错乱之感：这些男人！这是波士顿吗，确定不是四川成都？

People also chat, usually at lunch time in the common room, on topics from the latest big interantional news to the funny and emotional moments in their families. What impresses me most is the extent to which the male researchers concern about their families and there is no psychological or cultural obstacles that stop them from sharing it. Why? "It’s natural, and it’s a very important part of my life," They said. They spend more time with and care much more about their family than I can imagine as a Chinese woman. The academics seem to be much more conservative about their families than we Chinese intellectuals are.

哈佛人的研究议题都比较大格局，喜欢做跨国比较或全球过程研究，连定性研究也是常见国际案例比较。但在生活中他们很关注社区，社会行动在地化。翻翻哈佛的活动，要么是国际研讨会，或者全球各地学者或高级官员来访讲座，要么就是五花八门的地方社区活动。Science Center门前的广场上搭个大棚子，教授、同学就在里面对稀稀拉拉的人讲演、展示供应哈佛的水和蔬菜怎么来的，号召有机、低碳的生活方式。还有各种各样节日的哈佛社区活动。周末节假日或者考试季节提供各种放松活动，大的懒人沙发被丢在地上，同学们乱趴乱躺着看书；或者摆放硕大的国际象棋棋盘，路人抱着棋子移动来下棋；或者丢沙包； 或者来个有音乐才华的教授、职工或别的谁在路边的小木台子上超级high地载歌载舞弹琴又地上放个帽子，大家听高兴了随便扔两个铜板，当然最大的奖赏还是过路者热情的掌声。考试期间会特别地免费提供每人十分钟的肩颈按摩；或从附近农场引过来鸡、猫、鸭、狗、小猪、小羊和小兔，让大家去抚摸，因为研究表明接近柔软的东西比如小动物有助于泄压；当然也有人来广场上免费带大家做瑜伽，帮助泄压……估计考试压力真挺大，如此或可理解当年为什么有学生考前智商直接掉入窟窿里，闹出诈弹事件了。

Professors at Harvard like to choose research topics from a global perspective, such as comparative studies across different countries and cultures. But they also do practical work to help improve the local community. On the one hand, Harvard professors hold international conferences. On the other hand, they pick up microphones at the Science Center Square to explain to a few visitors about water and food safty in the local community.

哈佛人关心政治。特朗普当选那天整个哈佛校园都很难过。有的教授发信说我难过得无法起床相信你们也一样，今天就不上课了。有的教授发邮件请注意今天继续上课，但我会给大家哭泣的时间。有的教授说继续上课吧，悲伤的时候大家在一起更能挺过去。那天下午，一些人就组织起来游行过校园，抗议特朗普的排外政策。

特朗普反对移民，哈佛就以校长的名义举行社区演讲 Inclusion and Belonging。 教授、学生、职工被邀请来演讲，共同呼吁, 多元、包容和归属感是哈佛的使命及身份认同之基础。广泛接触不同方能培养创造力、挑战既有的假定，使得推进知识成为可能，而这正是我们教育使命的核心。我们必须创造一个开放包容的校园环境，激发我们社区中所有成员的归属感。前路阻长，匹夫与有责焉。

Harvard has the tradition of taking an interest in politics. After Trump was elected, the whole campus was soaked in low spirits. Emails were sent out to call on people to stay together, unite and stick to their shared political beliefs. And in that afternoon, people marched across the campus to protest against Trump. The university's President Faust invited people on campus to give and listen to public speeches entitled "Inclusion and Belonging" at the Memorial Hall. She said: "Diversity, inclusion, and belonging are fundamental to Harvard’s mission and identity. Exposure to difference fosters creativity, challenges settled assumptions, and helps make possible the advancement of knowledge central to our educational mission. We must create an open and inclusive campus environment that inspires a sense of belonging for all members of our community. The work ahead belongs to all of us."

社会学系里教授们的研究依我看归结起来就是围绕不公平这个核心分三块。第一是研究各种不公平,“inequality” 与其他变量各种交叉——阶层不公、种族歧视、 性别不平等、家庭不公、性别不平等与家庭关系、都市贫困、少数族裔、国际移民等等，其他的什么文化社会学、社会网络研究也内含了社会阶层再生产的批判主题。第二块是研究改变不公平，比如社会运动、政治暴力、社会政策、第三部门等等，就连看似去政治化的公司内部多样性研究最后也是结论表明多样性有助于组织绩效提升而不仅是社会公平问题哦所以CEO们你们要多招聘黑人、移民、女性……如此可见一斑。第三块是研究方法和工具：认识论、定量方法、定性/量混合方法，——这算是教学生如何研究“不公”嘛。

Research in the Sociology Department reflects the central theme of inequality. To some extent, their fields can be divided into three categories. First, inequality is treated as the dependent or independent variable. People explore various inequalities, such as inequality and class, gender inequality, inequality in family, urban poverty, racial and ethnic discrimination, etc. Second, people study how to change inequality, such as social movements, political violence, social policy and the third sector. Third, people study methodology, including qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods, which can be interpreted as to teach students how to study inequality!

学生们也如此。学生们的选题受老师们的影响，作为外来、少数族裔、女性、带娃、公交出行的我，每年都会被系里一些课程上的学生选中做访谈。（啊我太弱势了！）理论课上有个爱笑的小个子黑人女生Victoria无论讨论哪章哪节什么主题，她总会扯到黑人被歧视、如何苦大仇深的话题上去。某天我就问她：你总提这个话题，想过别人可能会烦吗？她笑说：我知道啊。但是我就是黑人，我必须为我的种族不停地去呼吁。我说：你看看这班上，女生3/4，黑人1/2了，黑人真的还在被歧视吗？她又笑说：不，你不能看我们，我们是少数的幸运者，我不能因为自己这么幸运就忘记了还有那么多我的同胞在很多方面被排斥。为了他们我会一直呼吁、战斗下去。我侧目说：Wow, 我是不是见到了年轻的Michelle  Obama? 她笑： I try to be.

当然就政治氛围而言，实际上也有人批评哈佛的政治风气太左了，曾经哈佛的一个教授在调往白宫工作时就说他终于可以到白宫那个没有政治的地方去透透气了。

Students’ research interests are influenced by their professors. As an immigrant, woman, minority, parent with a kid, and someone who commutes by bus,  I was often picked as an interviewee for the students' course papers. I am also impressed by a black girl in sociological theory class who kept mentioning racial discrimination and the social exclusion for the blacks. I once asked her,"Have you ever realized people may feel annoyed by you always talking about this?" She laughed and said, "I know, but that’s what I should pay for my ideal.  I will never stop speaking up for my own race. The situation has changed but not so big. And I am just one of the very few lucky ones."

或许你要怀疑难道哈佛人就没什么缺点吗？我想这看你怎么看，他们有些特点在我们的文化背景下看来是可能引发争议。

比如哈佛人特别目标导向，见面就问研究因为大家都是做研究的啊，他干嘛要问你中国功夫、饺子啊，他又不研究那个。但这个目标可能是世俗的成功（所以也有人说哈佛人很功利），也可能是改变世界的理想，也可能就是他热爱的专业。专注于他的目标，这是他们的一种习惯；这里尊重每个人的偏好和选择。又比如他们很自我。有人觉得来这里并不被care。这里的人都忙着追求自己的专业/兴趣和理想，没时间care、从不妨碍别人，当然自信的他们也不care别人怎么想。人际交往大家都按角色规则或说他自己的理解来。比如教授认真回应学生的问题并不代表他对学生就特别热情，那是因为他尊重自己的工作。他帮助你是因为他能帮想帮，并不需要你特别地去跟他搞好关系。学问上为别人花时间提建议因为这是美德，你获得帮助也该回馈别人。当然人与人之间自然也有亲疏远近，但那都是量的区别，他们对别人通常没什么执念。这里感恩节里好朋友之间也就送一双袜子大家都好开心，教授们也只是收到巧克力、袜子或小书签，或者是教授给同学们送巧克力。——或因文化背景和社会环境不同，咱们的差序格局圈圈之间则似有质的差别，从中心两圈对“我的人”的无限善意/爱意出发跳跳就过渡到了中间地带“管我什么事”的漠然无意，再往外就可能是戒备或对立了，“不要跟陌生对说话”。当然这就是就大的文化背景粗略比较而言，学术等奉行专业主义的圈子也有所不同。

目标导向、专注于自己，尊重别人、有边界，这是根植于美国整个社会的个体主义文化里的。也许有人会觉得这样颇冷漠，但我觉得主要是文化隔离罢了。他们并非不care别人，他们care的方式就是尊重你、接纳你、鼓励你，你需要帮助你若开口会有人愿意帮助；但你不开口，别人不会主动问通常也注意不到。这里的人也很open热情，走在路上陌生人之间随便say个hi就开聊，聊得好愉快只是分手也不留恋，可极少说扫个码加个好友吧（在哈佛的中国人除外）。我也见Harvard Square发生冲突事件，马上有big guy站出来。这里的人一天到晚就是个自动sorry机和thanks机，没碍你啥事他也sorry，你没帮啥忙他也thanks.我们楼里的电梯三天两头坏，师傅一修就三五天那个效率低啊。某次久达一星期后天终于运行了，我看到有人贴了张大大的感谢信“谢谢你们辛苦的工作，新换的蓝色圆形面板按钮真是棒极了”，我的内心是呼啸的……一件事人做得慢了通常我们认为一定是那人太懒了，而他们认为一定是这事太难了。同事取得成就大家都真心祝贺，并不嫉妒，有什么好嫉妒的，人家努力人家应得的，你也去追求自己的罢了。他们的个体主义观跟现代公民素养是一体两面的。

You may wonder whether people at Harvard have any shortcomings. I guess yes, especially when we see them through the lens of Asian culture. For example, they seem to be very goal-oriented and do not care much about other people. They have many dreams and interests to pursue and many tasks to accomplish, and they don’t have the time to care about others. But if you are in trouble and ask for help, they will always give you a hand, but only if you open your mouth and ask. From the perspective of their individualistic culture , this may be related to their notion of respect. Mind your own business. No invitation no intervention. Here, people know themselves well, where they are and where they want to go, and how to behave appropriately in social situations. Professors treat you seriously not because they "like you" but due to their professional ethics. People take time reading other’s papers and giving suggestions because this is an academic virtue. They help because they feel they can, they should and they want to, not because they have special relationships with you. They do as the social rules require and keep the social boundary well.

总之，我所见到的哈佛人是一个比较全人的形象，能力出众、工作极勤勉自不必说，他们爱工作（研究）也爱生活（家庭）、关注社区、关心政治（促进社会公平），追求成就，抱负高但也脚踏实地，承担责任也忠于自己。

In sum, people here are all-round human beings. They love their work as well as their family. They are very talented but also extremely diligent. They study global and international issues while taking time to be engaged in local community activities. They pursue personal achievements while making efforts to promote social equality. They are responsible and loyal to themselves.

三、经验与收获

Experience and lessons to share