北朝文化與民族的互動過程顯示,民族與文化并不存在一一對應關系,中古史研究中長期盛行的"民族文化決定論"并無事實與理論依據。在多元文化互動的網絡中,所謂"漢化主流",是指中原"大傳統"的高價值項以制度為媒介,被植入進入中原的非漢人群權威價值結構中,進而通過"典范化"方式,推動社會各方面不斷接近中原文化主流形態的過程。其最終結果并非總是文化和民族的同化,而往往是多樣化人群和文化在高階價值形態趨同基礎上的凝聚。中華民族多元一體格局和共同體意識的形成,正是建立在價值結構多元一體化的基礎上。

The interaction between culture and ethnicity in the Northern Dynasties indicates that there is no one-to-one correspondence in between, and that the long prevailing ‘ethniccultural determinism’ in the study of medieval history has no factual and theoretical basis.In a network of multicultural interaction, the so-called ‘Sinicization Mainstream’ refers to the process whereby the high-value items of the ‘Great Tradition’ of the Central Plains are embedded in the authoritative value structure of the non-Han people in the region through the medium of institution, and then by ‘exemplification’, which facilitates all aspects of society constantly approaching the mainstream form of cultures of the Central Plains. The ultimate result is not always the assimilation of cultures and peoples, but rather, the coalescence of diverse populations and cultures on the basis of the convergence of high-level value forms. The formation of the Pattern of Diversity in Unity of and the sense of community for the Chinese Nation is based on the pluralistic integration of value structure.