本文以明廷所採取的社會整合策略為中心,從一個相對宏觀的角度探討明廷如何透過華夏正統王朝譜系的建構、文化認同的強調、傳統禮制的重塑,修復華夏族群的歷史記憶、增強華夏族群的認同意識、凸顯華夏族群的身份象徵。與此同時,明廷還採取了針對北方華夏族的特殊策略以強化其認同意識。最後,本文指出「再造華夏」的社會運動,並不是將其他少數族群徹底驅逐於王朝體系之外或盡數將其同化的排外行動,而是一場恢復華夏傳統、整合華夏族群、改良社會風俗的社會運動。從主觀目的上說,明廷發動這場社會運動是為了建構其正統性,鞏固其統治基礎,確保其政權能夠長久地維持下去;從客觀效果上看,這場社會運動對於消除部份華夏族群的胡化現象,撫平南北華夏族群由於長期的政治分裂與一度被區隔為「漢人」、「南人」兩個不同族群造成的裂痕,強化華夏族群的內部認同起到了積極的作用。
As part of its policies for social reintegration, the Ming state traced a pedigree of rulers of orthodox dynasties and reconstructed the ritual system of antiquity. This was intended to promote a particular sense of the past, strengthen consciousness of identity and promote the symbols associated with Hua-Xia identity. The Ming court used specific policies to strengthen the identification of the peoples of north China with Ming. Efforts to reconstruct Hua-Xia were intended neither to definitively exclude minority groups from the imperial system nor to assimilate them completely. Rather the attempt to revive Hua-Xia tradition, reintegrate Hua-Xia ethnicity, and reform social customs was launched by the court to strengthen its claims to orthodoxy, stabilize its rule, and ensure the long term continuity of its political authority. The movement sought to counter the trend of northern peoples identifying with alien groups, and to eliminate lingering differences between north and south China that had been produced by long term political division. This had created distinct ethnicities among "Han People" and "People of South". The unification of these strengthened the cohesiveness of Ming subjects.