尺度是人文地理学的核心概念。为了深化对尺度的理解,本文详尽梳理了目前西方研究中的尺度认知,从隐喻、实践和认识论角度对尺度进行了理解和定义;在此基础上,基于二次抽象的视角,探讨了尺度的本质含义及其分析框架。本文认为,尺度本质上是对基本地理维度(如地方、网络和领土)的二次抽象,是一种建构的概念,因此讨论尺度真假并无实质意义;另一方面,尺度的划分不单纯是容器,而是与各种社会-权力关系相交织,并被不断重构和利用,从而形成了各种尺度化实践和尺度政治。因此,对尺度的研究和运用更应关注其解释力和影响力。最后,本文基于这一理解,探讨了中国政治文化背景中的尺度概念和尺度政治课题。

Scale is definitely a key concept in human geography. However, while heated discussions are prevailing among western human geographers, not much attention has been paid to the concept and analytical framework of scale in China. To advance the knowledge on scale in Chinese human geography, this paper first summarizes the major views to scale. Three approaches have been identified in existing Anglophone human geographical studies. An analytical framework of scale is then proposed based on previous studies and ideas drawn from mathematics and physics. This framework heights the understanding of scale as a kind of second abstraction rather than a seemingly messy concept with controversial metaphors. It mainly considers scale as the frame, structure and/or relations among basic geographical dimensions such as place, network and territory. Place denotes the dimension focusing on the positionality (e.g. distance to other places) and uniqueness (e.g. experiences of various components within a region and locational endowment); network mainly depicts the connections and flows among different geographies; territory emphasizes the delimitation by various borders and establishment of hierarchical power levels with different organizational structures and territorial extents. Various scalar concepts are further clarified under this prism.