问题与思考:西方社会中产阶级现状析略

Problem and Thought: Analyzing on The Western Social Situation of Middle Class

中产阶级在西方社会结构中占有较大比例,然由于其阶层“边界”的不确定性,群体利益的异质性,故在西方社会两极贫富分化的现状中也难以避免其自身的分化。因此这种外在与内在的不稳定性,使中产阶级在社会经济地位上具有脆弱性和敏感性、文化生活上表现“中间性”和多重性、政治态度上存在矛盾性和复杂性。这不仅使西方中产阶级理论存在相当大的局限性,而且也使其难以成为一个自觉、自为的阶级或阶层。尽管如此,中产阶级在当代西方社会经济发展中仍有其积极意义,作为人力资本抗衡金融资本的代表,其必然成为当代先进生产力的载体;而新中产阶级的兴起在意识形态上也具有潜在的反垄断资本主义的作用。

In western society although middle class possesses greater proportion, its stratum ＂boundary＂is uncertainty, and benefit of group is different that it is hard to avoid breaking up itself during the two poles of the poor and the rich. This kind of external and inner instability makes middle class frail and sensitive at the economical position, shows ＂intermediateness ＂and multiplicity of culture, there is contradictoriness and complexity to political attitude. It not only makes theory of middle class limited in western, and also makes middle class be hard to become a conscious class or stratum. However, it still has its positive meaning in development of economy, as the representative of manpower capital to contend with the representative of financial capital, it will inevitably become the carrier of advanced productivity. And springing up of new middle class plays latently the role to oppose the monopolistic capitalism.