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Volume 58 Issue 1
January 2026
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    Citation: ZANG Leizhen and LI Wei. Bringing Context Back in——The Root Metaphor of the “Bringing Back” Approach in Social Science Research[J]. Academic Monthly, 2026, 58(1): 84-93. shu

    Bringing Context Back in——The Root Metaphor of the “Bringing Back” Approach in Social Science Research

    • Abstract

      Since the late twentieth century, the social sciences have seen a proliferation of "bringing back" initiatives-from bringing the state back in to society, culture, history, and even everything. Together, these movements form what may be called the "bringing back approach, " a collective response to reductionism and overly narrow analytical paths. This paper argues that the root metaphor of this approach lies in bringing context back in. As a cognitive framework, context operates in two complementary ways:it strengthens causal identification and evidence integration 牗dispositional function 牘 by restoring obscured conditions and relationships, and it constrains overgeneralization 牗threshold function牘 by clarifying the scope of concepts and theories. Building on this dual role, the paper proposes an "addition-subtraction" strategy-adding neglected mechanisms and evidence to enrich explanation, while subtracting to narrow theoretical scope and enhance robustness.
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      1. [1]

        LIN Shangli . China's Mission in Constructing Original Theories and Its Methodological Foundation. Academic Monthly, 2026, 58(7): 5-11.

      2. [2]

        RAN Gaoran . The Evolution and Game of Property Systems——On the Paradigm Choice for Data Property. Academic Monthly, 2026, 58(7): 117-128.

      3. [3]

        NI Liangkang . The Philosophy of History of “New Idealism” after Hegel: Neo-Hegelianism. Academic Monthly, 2026, 58(7): 12-22.

      4. [4]

        WAN Yong ,  LI Yalan . Realizing the Function of Copyright Law in the Era of Artificial Intelligence. Academic Monthly, 2026, 58(7): 104-116.

      5. [5]

        WANG Qian . AI-Generated Content and Copyright Liability: Paradoxes and Resolutions. Academic Monthly, 2026, 58(8): 118-132.

      6. [6]

        WEN Jun . From Technical Tokens to Social Tokens: the Ontological Construction of Token Sociology. Academic Monthly, 2026, 58(8): 145-156.

      7. [7]

        HU Jun . Three Dimensions of Aesthetic Value from the Perspective of Neuroaesthetics——On the Essence of Beauty and Other Issues. Academic Monthly, 2026, 58(8): 184-194.

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          Bringing Context Back in——The Root Metaphor of the “Bringing Back” Approach in Social Science Research

          Abstract: Since the late twentieth century, the social sciences have seen a proliferation of "bringing back" initiatives-from bringing the state back in to society, culture, history, and even everything. Together, these movements form what may be called the "bringing back approach, " a collective response to reductionism and overly narrow analytical paths. This paper argues that the root metaphor of this approach lies in bringing context back in. As a cognitive framework, context operates in two complementary ways:it strengthens causal identification and evidence integration 牗dispositional function 牘 by restoring obscured conditions and relationships, and it constrains overgeneralization 牗threshold function牘 by clarifying the scope of concepts and theories. Building on this dual role, the paper proposes an "addition-subtraction" strategy-adding neglected mechanisms and evidence to enrich explanation, while subtracting to narrow theoretical scope and enhance robustness.

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