20世纪美国中产阶级的结构变迁及其特征

On 20th- Century American Middle Class’Structural Change and Characteristics in Different Periods

本文从中产阶级的概念界定、中产阶级的结构变迁及中产阶级的基本特征等几个方面,探究20世纪美国中产阶级的发展轨迹及演变趋势。作者认为,美国从建国伊始,其社会结构就已呈现出中间大而两端小的"洋葱头式"的形态,中产阶级在社会构成中明显地占据多数。在其后的社会演进中,特别是在20世纪的历史演进中,美国中产阶级不仅在人数上不断增加、群体构成上日趋复杂,同时也更凸显出其独有的特征。

This article focused on 20th-century American middle class, explores its varied concepts, structural changes and basic characteristics to detect the evolution trace and the development trend of American middle class. The author argues that since the early days of the United States, the social structure has taken the shape of an onion, big in the middle, and much smaller in the upper and lower parts, with the mid- dle class making up the majority in society. With the development of American society, particularly in the 20th century, the middle class, a increasingly complicated mix, grows continuously in number, and highlights its unique characteristics.