"離散"是民族研究的重要概念,從特指猶太民族在世界各地漂泊,到指涉全球化時代各種類型的跨國移居群體,相關研究已經歷了4個明顯的發展階段,在此基礎上形成以散居族裔生存為核心的社會學與人類學理論,以及強調雜糅文化身份和超越邏輯為特點的文化理論。前者對離散定義域與離散類型學做出巨大貢獻,后者對推動后殖民主義的理論發展功不可沒。21世紀迅猛發展的全球化與人口自由流動沖擊了"離散"概念的傳統定義基礎,造成與"離散"相關的理論危機,并誕生了跨國主義理論,二者之間交集緊密卻又各有側重,反映出學界切入全球化語境下民族研究的不同視角與關注點。

Diaspora as an important concept in ethnology has so far undergone four stages of development.Originally this term refers to the dispersed communities represented by the Jews and Armenians.However,now it covers all the ethnic and religious groups living abroad for a certain period of time and yet not quite assimilated by the host society.Diaspora studies can be roughly divided into two schools.The sociological and anthropological school strengthens the field with its typological and empirical effort,while the cultural school expands the field into all the current theories,especially postcolonialism.Unprecedented global mobility is now having an impact on the old conception of Diaspora.Born out of the theoretical crisis is a new theory of transnationalism.The two concepts came from the same root.The former is more historical in perspective,while the latter more futuristic in its academic focal point.