China Social Science Review

No.4, 2022

 

Theoretical Fusion and Methodological Concurrence: A New Trend in Study of the Life Course

(Abstract)

 

Wang Dianxi and Zhao Yufeng

 

In order to cope with the new changes in the social field after the 1960s, the study of the life course has produced two different paradigms. The North American paradigm emphasizes the influence of initiative on individual lifetime development, while the European paradigm holds that the life course is the product of the influence of social structure. The obvious difference between the two paradigms led to the integration of interdisciplinary research achievements after 2000. In terms of theory, scholars have constructed a comprehensive theoretical framework of the life course cube in an attempt to systematize key concepts and mechanisms of the life course that connect individuals and social situations. In terms of method, the competitive trajectory analytical method combines the advantages of event history analysis and sequence analysis, in an attempt to make up for the shortcomings of different methods. On the basis of the latest progress in the field, the study of the life process based on the Chinese situation has a bright future.