CAJ | 학술논문

近年来，对中国中间阶层的研究正悄然兴起。中西方学者均对中间阶层的社会成分、形成过程及其政治态度和行为展开了广泛的研究。然而，如何对中国语境下中间阶层这一概念做出最符合实际意义的界定等基本问题尚未得到解决。之所以如此，是因为中间阶层是一个“在本质上存在争议的概念”，其定义仍然捉摸不定。为此，文章提出采用德国一些社会学家所提出的“战略性群体”概念，作为研究中国社会新兴群体的新视角，来剖析中国作为战略性群体的中间阶层。为了理解这一阶层的政治态度和行为，有必要从主观认同的角度对战略性群体这一概念做出补充。
근년래，대중국중간계층적연구정초연흥기。중서방학자균대중간계층적사회성분、형성과정급기정치태도화행위전개료엄범적연구。연이，여하대중국어경하중간계층저일개념주출최부합실제의의적계정등기본문제상미득도해결。지소이여차，시인위중간계층시일개“재본질상존재쟁의적개념”，기정의잉연착모불정。위차，문장제출채용덕국일사사회학가소제출적“전략성군체”개념，작위연구중국사회신흥군체적신시각，래부석중국작위전략성군체적중간계층。위료리해저일계층적정치태도화행위，유필요종주관인동적각도대전략성군체저일개념주출보충。
Studies on the Chinese middle class have become a thriving cottage industry in recent years. Both Western and Chinese researchers have addressed the social composition, processes of class - formation as well as political attitudes and behaviors of those deemed to fall into this social category. However, basic problems such as the most meaningful way to define the middle class in the Chinese context are still unresolved. Therefore, this article argues that the middle class constitutes what can be termed an ＂essentially contested concept,＂ a definition of it will remain elusive. Instead it develops a fresh perspective for studying newly emerging groups in Chinese society by taking up a theory developed by some German social scientists, namely the concept of ＂strategic groups＂. From this it develops a new understanding of the Chinese middle classes as strategic groups. Finally, it argues that it is necessary to complement the strategic group concept with the dimension of subjective identification in order to understand political attitudes and behaviors of the Chinese middle classes.