本文採用個案研究方法，獲得了農村與城市人關係分類及其解釋的實徵資料。研究發現，農村與城市的被研究者的分類都表現出「差序格局」的特徵，在他們的分類結果中表現出判斷關係的兩個維度：先賦性與交往性。這兩種特性構成的關係類別就是中國人特有的關係分類圖式 -- 「自己人╱外人」。較少發生社會流動的農村傳統社會與較多發生社會流動的都市社會中人們的關係分類有所不同：在農村被研究者的分類中，血緣親屬制度規定被作為親疏的基本根據，表現出親緣身份與親密情感、信任及義務的固定化聯繫。「自家人╱外人」成為區分內外的標誌。親密的交往關係比較多地以建立擬親屬關係的方式存在。在城市被研究者的分類中，血緣親屬制度規定與其他既有關係只是交往關係的出發點，而人際親密、信任及承擔義務的程度主要依賴交往中關係的發展。通過交往，各種人際聯繫由於個人特性的吸引導致準身份 -- 「自己人╱外人」分類。這種準身份，包含著親密、信任及義務的規定性。其次，城市人交往的情境性較強，因此，在每一個情境類別中，存在每人特性導致的親疏格局，而情境間的區別不是親疏之別。由於城市人的分類可以同時存在多個相互比較獨立的部分，「差序格局」的形態與農村人有所不同。人際交往更具有獨立的意義。最後，本文對三種重要的關係分類理論進行了驗證、補充及討論，其結論是，「自家人╱外人」或「自己人╱外人」的關係分類圖式是在「先賦性╱交往性」維度尚未得到充分分化的條件下形成的，說明中國人的個人特性的表達需要透過親緣身份等社會性進行。

　　　　　Case studies of urban and rural Mainland Chinese were used to determineclassifications of guanxi (social relations) in the Chinese cultural and socialcontext. Analysis revealed that when Chinese distinguish Us from Them, they usea psychological classification schema that contains two main dimensions:ascribed and interactive. The contrast defining these two dimensions of guanxiis zijiren/wairen (one of us/not one of us, or insider/outsider).Differences were found between urban and rural respondents due to thediscrepancy in social mobility. With lower social mobility, rural respondentsreported a strong bond of kinship identity and the feeling of closeness,interpersonal trust, and responsibility for one another. The kinship systemplayed a key role in judging interpersonal distance. The distinction betweenfamily members and strangers became symbolic of the insider/outsider dimension.Intimate relationships were equated with kinship. For urban respondents, thekinship system was only a foundation upon which interpersonal relationships weredeveloped. The feeling of closeness, interpersonal trust, and responsibility forone another mainly focused on interpersonal attraction, inducing a variant ofthe insider/outsider distinction: bosom buddy/not bosom buddy.Three theories of guanxi categorization were discussed. The family member/notfamily member schema and the insider/outsider schema were formed underconditions where the ascription and interaction dimensions could not besufficiently differentiated. When Chinese express their personalcharacteristics, they do so either through kinship identity or another socialidentity like kinship.