Abstract:

Current area studies face significant methodological limitations in supporting the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), such as over-reliance on macro perspectives and static data, alongside the absence of local viewpoints. This hinders the field's ability to grasp the complex interactive logic of policy implementation at the local level and may even lead to misjudgments. This study proposes "grounding approaches" as a core methodological innovation, advocating for the construction of a reality-grounded knowledge system through immersive fieldwork. This transformation requires shifting focus from homogenized national/regional units to diverse local practices, emphasizing the value of spatial differences, cultural nuances, and local knowledge. Methodologically, it necessitates moving beyond textual analysis to long-term ethnographic thick description, where researchers immerse themselves in local social environments to capture invisible variables—such as informal rules and cultural taboos—through participant observation and in-depth interviews. Ethically, it demands a fundamental shift: critiquing the "othering" of research subjects, emphasizing contextual depth and researcher reflexivity, and involving local actors in co-creating knowledge to transition from "knowledge extraction" to "co-creation of knowledge." However, Chinese scholars practicing "grounding approaches" confront multiple challenges, including institutional constraints, linguistic and cultural barriers, ethical dilemmas arising from sensitivity issues, and difficulties in interdisciplinary collaboration and conceptualizing indigenous frameworks. Overcoming these requires institutional innovation (e.g., streamlining procedures, enhancing language training, flexible ethics review) and scholarly community collaboration (e.g., team-based research models). This article argues that only by committing to immersive fieldwork and knowledge decolonization can area studies transcend its status as a "superficially popular studies" to become "substantive knowledge" underpinning the BRI's refined implementation phase.

Key words: area studies, methodology, "grounding approaches", BRI

摘要：

当前区域国别研究在支撑“一带一路”建设时存在显著的方法论局限，如过度依赖宏观视角和静态数据，且存在本土视角缺席的问题。这使得研究难以把握政策在地方落地过程中的复杂互动逻辑，甚至可能造成误判。本文提出以“在地化”为核心的方法论革新，主张通过深入实地调研，构建扎根现实的知识体系。这种革新要求研究重心从同质化的国家/区域下沉到地方多样化的具体实践，重视空间差异、文化细节和地方性知识的价值；也需要研究方法从书斋解读转向长期的田野深描，研究者需沉浸于当地社会环境，通过参与观察和深度访谈捕捉非正式规则、文化禁忌等量化研究难以触及的变量；还涉及研究伦理的根本转变，批判将研究对象“他者化”的做法，强调深度理解背景、研究者保持自我反思，并让本土行动者共同参与知识创造，实现从“知识攫取”到“主体共生”的转型。然而，在当前的学术环境下，中国学者实践“在地化”研究也面临多重挑战，如制度性限制、语言文化隔阂、议题敏感性带来的伦理困境，以及跨学科合作与本土概念提炼的困难。要克服这些困难，需依托制度创新与学术共同体协作共同发力。本文认为，唯有坚持深入实地、追求知识去殖民化，区域国别研究才能超越“显学”浮名，成为支撑“一带一路”精耕细作的“实学”。

关键词: 区域国别学, 方法论, “在地化”, “一带一路”倡议