價值的界線：台灣中產階級的研究

A STUDY OF THE TAIWANESE MIDDLE CLASS

羅貞貽(JEN-YI LUO)

指導教授 ： 蔡明璋

國立臺北大學/社會科學學院/社會學系/碩士(2010年)

摘要

本研究以生活在我們周遭的中產階級族群為研究對象，採用Michèle Lamont: Money，Morals & Manners: The Culture of the French and the American Upper-Middle Class一書中的三種象徵界線，探討台灣中產階級的文化、價值觀和階級認同。
研究發現台灣中產階級族群認為以社會客觀標準來看，他們具備中產階級的身分，但是在薪資、想法、生活條件上，他們卻不具備該階級的實質條件。使得大多數的中產階級並未產生階級認同，甚至對於中產階級的概念不清楚。而工作職位較高的中產階級，對於中產階級的身分具有較高的認同感。
在三種象徵界線中，傳統儒家思想中，道德一直和和品德不可劃分。因此，相較於社會經濟界線和文化界線，中產階級認為不論是對自我要求或是用以評斷他人，道德被視為最重要的評斷標準，而該階級的人認為中產階級的道德觀需要比其他階級來得更高。
此外，中產階級認為以抽象的道德和文化來判斷他人是困難的，相較之下社會經濟可用具體化的數據方式呈現，是較容易判別的指標。文化界線方面，中產階級因位於中間位置，擁有向上發展的空間，故中產階級的人們將「學習」視為該階級的文化。
在研究分析中也發現：不論是道德、社會經濟或是文化界線，皆可發現儒家文化持續影響中產階級的人們，並且將儒家文化展現於行為和思想中。

關鍵字

中產階級、階級認同、象徵界線、儒家文化、價值觀

並列摘要

This research targets primarily middle-class people who live in Taiwan, by adopting three symbolic boundaries: morals, socioeconomic, and culture. These three boundaries form the basis of Michèle Lamont’s previous studies and her book: Money，Morals & Manners: The Culture of the French and the American Upper-Middle Class. The purpose of this research is to discuss and better understand the unique culture, values, and class identity of Taiwan’s middle class.
Previous studies found that members of Taiwan’s middle class held the view that their qualifications of being so called “middle class” were according to broad social standards. However, they believed that their incomes, thoughts, and living standards did not meet the qualifications of being realistic middle-class citizens. Therefore, most members of the Taiwanese middle class do not have a solid sense of class identity, nor do they have a clear understanding of the meaning of so-called middle class. Besides, previous studies also found that members of the Taiwanese middle class who held higher positions at work, tended to have a better sense of class identity recognition.
In traditional Confucian thought, ethics and integrity share a strong, undivided bond with the three symbolic boundaries. However, under the strong influence of Confucian thought, moral boundaries, such as ethics and integrity, were considered the most common and important class identity standards. Therefore, members of the Taiwanese middle class think they must have higher and better standards of ethics and integrity than people of other social classes.
On the other hand, most members of the Taiwanese middle class think it is difficult to define a person’s social class immediately by indistinct standards of ethics and integrity, since it requires long-term observation of the person. So, they believe that it is easier to identify a person’s social class by using the socioeconomic boundary method. Economic data provides solid standards of middle-class qualification. Furthermore, regarding cultural boundary, the middle class stands in between the higher and lower classes; therefore, they have better opportunities to improve their social class standing. Many middle-class people tend to increase their self-worth by learning professional skills or joining activities considered as upper class activities. A unique middle-class culture is one in which the members have a willingness to learn to improve their social class standing.
Previous studies also found that Confucian culture strongly influences the moral, socioeconomic, and cultural values of the Taiwanese middle class, and influences their thoughts and behaviors.

並列關鍵字

middle class, class identity, symbolic boundary, Confucian culture, value

參考文獻

2001 ＜台灣社會民眾的階級認同：潛在類別分析＞。行政院國科會90年度專題研究計畫。

北京：中華書局。（Rethinking Comparative Cultural Sociology：Repertoires of Evaluation in France and the United states）.

Lamont, Michèle

1992 Money，Morals ＆ Manners：The Culture of the French and the American Upper-Middle Class.Chicago：The university of Chicago Press.

Wright, A. F.