理性的、自利的个体会自发地代表群体采取集体行动吗？群体认同在多大程度上是理性的和“善”的？1995年，美国著名的社会政治理论家拉塞尔·哈丁（Russell Hardin）②在普林斯顿大学出版社推出了他的另一本力作One for all：The Logic of Group Conflict。熟悉其理性主义理论偏好的读者们大概不难从其标题中猜测到该书的意图。的确，在这本书中，哈丁揆诸历史上及当代的各种影响深远的群体冲突现象，求解个体的群体归属感与群体冲突的形成机制。与那些把群体冲突视为非理性的、将其归咎于原生文化的观点不同，本书深入地考究了塑造群体冲突行为的社会互动结构与社会规范，揭示出自我利益在群体行动中的作用。在此基础上，作者从规范上反思了当代的社群主义政治理论，启发社会与政治制度设计的选择取向。著名政治社会学家克劳斯·奥菲在《美国社会学杂志》上评述道，“本书出自一个功利主义个体主义者的手笔，具有深刻的道德敏感性。作者不仅力图解释这个世界中当下所发生的事件，而且驳斥了社群主义的政治实践及其哲学理论”（Offe，1996）。
On the basis of direct election of resident committee in Shanghai since late 1990s, this paper raises a certain theoretical perspectives on the urban community elections in China. A review of empirical studies on resident committee election reveals that much scholastic attentions have been focused on the socio-political function of community election, leaving the pattern of resident participation and electoral mobilization unexplained. The author therefore calls for a theoretical turn to map the behavioral process of Chinese community election.Some preliminary theorizing strategies are proposed by linking the behavioral process with the more general theories of participation and social mobilization. Analytical unit and research method for this object are also discussed.
