The middle class theory holds that when the middle class becomes the majority of a society, the social structure will be in a stable status,and vice versa.Most theorists agree on this logic. There are,however, content...The middle class theory holds that when the middle class becomes the majority of a society, the social structure will be in a stable status,and vice versa.Most theorists agree on this logic. There are,however, contentions on two points about the middle class theory.One is about the social position of the middle class: some consider it to consist of the lower class and some just think the opposite. The other controversy is about whether the middle class is a united and homogeneous group, or a divided and heterogeneous one. In contemporary western societies, the middle class is the majority of the population, thus structurally making social stabilization possible in these countries. This experience is what China should draw on. It is a crucial problem about China's social structure that the middle class is too small and the lower class is too large. By analyzing China's several census data, the author predicts that it would take about 40 to 70 years for the China's middle class to become the majority of the society.展开更多
文摘The middle class theory holds that when the middle class becomes the majority of a society, the social structure will be in a stable status,and vice versa.Most theorists agree on this logic. There are,however, contentions on two points about the middle class theory.One is about the social position of the middle class: some consider it to consist of the lower class and some just think the opposite. The other controversy is about whether the middle class is a united and homogeneous group, or a divided and heterogeneous one. In contemporary western societies, the middle class is the majority of the population, thus structurally making social stabilization possible in these countries. This experience is what China should draw on. It is a crucial problem about China's social structure that the middle class is too small and the lower class is too large. By analyzing China's several census data, the author predicts that it would take about 40 to 70 years for the China's middle class to become the majority of the society.
