The Innovative Research Center of Culture and Social Management of Ethnic Minoritiesis the key research base of humanities and social sciences in Guizhou province with Research Center of the Minority Culture as its predecessor established in 2006. In July 2009, the center has been approved to be the key research base of the humanities and social sciences of universities and colleges in Guizhou province.
In December 2012, the university adjusted its research direction and combined new research resource based on the “Research Center of the Minority Culture”, renaming itself as the Innovative Research Center of the Culture and Social Management of Ethnic Minorities. Research subjects of the center are based on several provincial key subjects on sociology and ethnology, such as “doctor talents development projects in the ethnic areas in the south west china”, and “first level of the master degree authorized point for the sociology and ethnology”, to name a few. Besides, its sociology-related disciplines own two large social survey data platforms, CSS cooperating with Chinese Academy of social sciences, CGSS with Renmin university of China and the research base in Guizhou by the Central China Normal University’s Chinese rural issues research center”, which is one of the top 100 research centers of the social sciences in China.
The research center has 37 researchers,9 of whom are professors ,16 associate professors with 21 full time and 16 part time.Among the whole staff, 21 researchers are with PhD degree, 10 master degree,6 experts, 5 researchers who enjoy the special allowance awarded by the provincial government, 2 academic leaders for the philosophy and sociology from Guizui Universities, 3 doctorial tutors from Guizhou Minzu University, doctorial tutors from Minzu university of China, and 4 doctorial tutors from Univeristy of Colorado, Sacramento University, Central China Normal University, Yunnan university respectively. It has one evaluation expert in the national sociology funding projects. Following are the three research areas in the center:
1. The innovative researches on management of the special groups in the ethnic minority areas.
a .The study of the left-behind people in ethnic minority areas: with the acceleration of urbanization, the left behind population in rural area has become a heated topic. The research team has made a systematic study on the left behind women, children and the old. Wang Xingji, the leader of this research, is leading the national social sciences funding projects called “the research on the construction of new socialist village in poor ethnic minority rural areas”. Liu chao xiang, the associate professor is leading a humanities science project “the research of the family statues of the left behind women, especially in the Xishan town of the Dongautonomous prefecture,Qiandongnan” assigned by Education Department
b. The research on the management of the relationship between the social work and the special populations in the minority areas. The main purpose of this research is to explore in what way social work can play a role in the management of the special population in the minority areas. Cheng chengwen, the professor in this area, is presiding over the project “the assessment of the of the social work in the social assistance area” assigned by the Department of Civil Affairs to recruit talents in 2008, and the lecturer Hu binbin is the leader of the national social funding project “the ethnic identity and the talent team development of the social work in the ethnic minority area”
2.The innovative researches on traditional social management and social organization in society of ethnic minorities.
a. The research on traditional social organization and social changes of ethnic minorities: the research is mainly to explore types, patterns, mechanism of their social organization, as well as the situations and changes of their social economy in the ethnic minority areas. Professor Shi kaizhong, the leader of this research area, has published several influential monographs includingthe Research on Changes of the Organization of Dong People,Social Changes of Dong People”. Besides, he has leaded the investigation of the development of the population of ethnic minorities based on the fifth census, a national social sciences funding subject in 2012
b. The innovation of social management and the traditional organization in ethnic minority areas: as china has stepped into a period when social contradictions is at it height, one of the key strategic missions the nation and the Party is facing is to strengthen and innovate the social management, to resolve social conflicts, and to promote social harmony. In order to carry out the research, researchers have used resources of the traditional organization in the minority areas, and have innovated the social management according to the local conditions. Professor Liao Junhua, the academic leader, presides over the national social sciences subject “the research on tourism in new communities in the minority areas based on social enpowerment” in 2013, and associate professor You zhenhai leads the nation social science subject “the research on the organization in minority areas”.
3. The innovative researches on the traditional national culture and the community construction.
a. The research on the relationship between the traditional culture and the ethnic groups in the ethnic minority areas. The main aspect of the research is to explore changes of the ethnic society, evolution of the ethnic relationship and theories and practical issues which are important to the innovation of the community construction. Professor Chen Yuping, leads the national social science funding project “research on the symbolic anthropology of Tu Jia’s worship in different areas”, and the associate professor Li tianyi leads the national social science funding project “the research on the tourism mode of ethnic villages in south west under the construction of the modern villages”
b. The research on social security and community regulation in ethnic minority areas. The research mainly explores the community participation, social culture, community regulation, social security and other related issues in the ethnic minority areas. Professor Xie Zhiju leads the social science funding project “the research on rural communities of ethnic minority in South West China in a society at risk” assigned by Education Department . Chen ziqiang, the associate professor leads the national social sciences funding project “the research on the management of the semi-urban communities of multi-ethnic minority areas in the west”. Besides, Wei song, the associate professor, leads the national social science funding project “the research on the compatibility of the social security level of ethnic minorities in south west”.
c. The research on political credibility, social and political stability in ethnic minority areas: the research focuses on issues about the political credibility and the social stability in ethnic minority areas. Profeesor Xie Zhiju has published the academic paper called “the political credibility between economic modes and the villagers”. Chen Zi qiang, the associate professor has published the academic paper “the analysis of main factors which have impacted political stability of ethnic minorities in the west ”.
