The best bureaucrat knows how to act. An ethnographic research on 'Chinese formalism' in bureaucratic institutions

许多现有的社会研究试图通过正式的制度，如成文法和政府，来分析非西方社会。然而，大部分民族志都集中在街道一级，面向服务的机构，从而忽视了跨层次的研究和时间序列的研究。我建议的研究将在不同层次的机构以及官僚过程的不同阶段进行参与式观察。我打算研究“中国形式主义”现象，这个术语指的是追求形式而不是效果的官僚行为。我所提出的研究可以通过探索官僚制中的等级制度和时间性来为人类学现有的文献做出贡献。首先，研究形式主义是如何在官僚机构的不同层级和部门产生和蔓延的，有助于我们提高对正式机构内部管理和纪律机制的认识。特别是，这种考察可以揭示中层和基层官员就官僚工作的形式和内容进行谈判的各种方式。其次，透过观察官僚空间随时间的变迁，本研究希望揭露中高层官僚的投机与虚伪行为。具体而言，我打算研究官僚如何调整办公室的装饰和空间安排，以符合党的领导人的品味。第三，通过考察正式事件和文件是如何上演和争议的，本项目希望证明，中层官僚的无能往往是经过精心策划和执行的。与将官僚机构描述为简化和拖延的场所相反，该项目可以揭示中层官僚之间复杂而快速的协调过程，以显示集体的战略无知。

Much existing social research has attempted to analyse non-western societies through formal institutions like codified law and government. However, the bulk of ethnography has focused on street-level, service- oriented institutions, thus neglecting cross-hierarchy studies and time-series studies. My proposed research would conduct participant observation across different levels of institutions as well as different stages in the bureaucratic process. I intend to examine the phenomenon of 'Chinese formalism' (xing shi zhu yi), a term that refers to bureaucratic behaviours that pursue forms rather than effects. My proposed research can contribute to the existing literature in anthropology by exploring the hierarchy, and temporality in bureaucracy. First, studying how formalism is created and spread across different levels and departments of bureaucracy can help improve our understanding of the internal management and discipline mechanisms of formal institutions. In particular, such an examination can reveal the various ways in which mid-level and street-level officials negotiate the forms and contents of bureaucratic work. Second, by looking at the changes in bureaucratic spaces over time , this project hopes to reveal speculative and hypocritical behaviour among mid and high-level bureaucrats. In specific, I intend to examine how bureaucrats adjust the decorations and spatial arrangements of their offices to stay in line with the taste of party leaders. Such an examination can help us understand the role of formality in bureaucratic politics.Third, by examining how formal events and documents are staged and contested, this project hopes to demonstrate that the appearance of incompetence among mid-level bureaucrats is often carefully planned and performed. In contrast to the depiction of bureaucracy as a site of simplification and delays, this project can reveal the complex and speedy coordination process among mid-level bureaucrats in displaying collective strategic ignorance.