万家灯火:近代上海的小家庭(1912—1949)

The Lights of the World: Small Families in Modern Shanghai (1912-1949)

近代上海处于早期工业化阶段,新的都市家庭脱离了传统的农业社会,从而引发了家庭结构的变化。整体而言,近代上海家庭尤其是职员、专业人士等中产家庭呈现出越来越显著的小家庭趋势。在这过程中,渐渐趋向原子化的小家庭从庞杂的社会中退却,家庭成员对情感和亲情日益关注。家庭生活不可避免地处于生活的中心位置。这种小家庭模式放在彼时的全球视野中看也是新鲜事物,反映了近代上海与世界的大融合。上海小家庭所承载的"现代生活"超越了地域和民族限制,是一种更为广阔和普遍的经历。

Modern Shanghai was in the early stage of industrialization,and the new urban family was divorced from the traditional agricultural society,which led to the change of family structure.Under the impact of Western thought,the family of modern society had changed more than any other era in the past.Overall,modern Shanghai families,especially employees,professionals,and other middle classes families showed an increasing trend of smaller families.In this process,the atomized family gradually tended to retreat from the complex society,and family members were increasingly concerned about their feelings and family ties.This small family pattern was also a new thing in the global perspective at that time,reflecting the great integration of modern Shanghai and the world.Obviously,the"modern life"carried by Shanghai's small family transcended regional and ethnic restrictions,and was a broader and universal experience.