On Contemporary Middle Class In China

Since reform and opening up, great changes have taken place in China's social structure, and many new phenomena have arisen in the social stratum, among which, the rising middle class has become people's focal point.In Marx' and Engels' works, the middle class was discussed for many times. When analyzing class situations of the human society, they not only focused on the major conflict between the two classes in opposing positions in society, but also applied the stratum analysis method, combining analysis of class and stratum, and investigated the society from these two perspectives.From the historical point of view, the middle class has been a political force for quite some time. It appeared as early as the stratum of the human society came into existence. All societies where there is a well-developed middle class are inclined to build a stable government form based on the rule by law. In most situations, the middle class always constitutes a structural factor for social stability. Nearly in every society exists the upper, middle and lower classes, and the interactions of the three classes affect the social stability and changes. When the middle class is drastically disunited to the upper and lower classes, between which, the confrontation will take shape in the society, producing disability and giving rise to social changes. And in a new society, along with the gradual growing of its middle class, the society tends to become stable.The development of China's contemporary middle class has undergone three stages. With the intensified reform of economic system, China's middle class is increasingly taking shape. The formation and development of China's contemporary middle class is influenced by various social and historical conditions. Policies, modernization and education constitute the soil for the contemporary middle class.The development of China's contemporary middle class carries the stamp of this age, and also receives influence from many social development factors in China. It presents many proactive factors as well as some natural deficiencies.The basic situation of China's contemporary middle class is represented by a relatively low ratio and narrow scope of professions, lack of principal character, and that, it has positive as well as negative influence on Chinese society. The relatively low ratio of the middle class will directly result in social polarization, meanwhile, within the middle class, there exists the crisis of disunion, vertical and parallel, all of which makes it unable to act as the backbone of the society. Its lagged cultural development has caused its "aphasia" position in the building of China's new social culture, making it impossible to become the binder for the diverse culture of social stratum.The prerequisite for the Chinese society's overall development is the all-round growth of the middle class. Its development conforms to not only the policy of common affluence, but also to the building of a harmonious society. On the road to growth, the contemporary middle class must get over unfavorable factors and its natural deficiencies. To facilitate its growth, we shall develop economy, intensify reform, improve market mechanism and foster a healthy culture.