西北地区是我国少数民族的聚集地,也是欧亚大陆东西方文明交流的主要通道。此地有纷繁多样的文化与民族,同与其毗邻的中亚地区成交汇之势,长期沉淀东西灿烂文化遗留。当前,中国西北地区正发生着急剧的社会变迁,尤其是西北地区偏远乡野的社会巨变前所未有。在此关头,不只是社会文化变迁之状况急需呈现,而且诸多的社会现状与问题更需描摹、解剖与应对。鉴于此,新疆维吾尔自治区首批天山学者(民族学学科)及其聘任单位新疆师范大学民族学与社会学学院(新疆民族与社会高等研究院)共同协商举办“西北— The northwest region is a gathering place for ethnic minorities in our country and also the main channel for the exchange of Eastern and Western civilizations in Eurasia. Here there are a wide variety of cultures and ethnic groups, with its neighboring Central Asia, the transaction exchange trend, the long-term precipitation of splendid cultural legacy. At present, rapid social changes are taking place in northwestern China, especially in the unprecedented social changes in the remote countryside in the northwestern region. At this juncture, not only the status of social and cultural changes needs to be presented urgently, but also many social situations and problems need to be described, dissected and dealt with. In view of this, the first batch of Tianshan scholars (Ethnology) and their units employed by Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region jointly hold the ”Northwest-