地位层级认同为何下移: 兼论地位层级认同基础的转变

地位层级认同的“向下偏移”是一个在学理上和政策上都非常重要的现象。本文发现，地位层级的主要认同基础已由对具体社会单元的归属感转变为对收入等市场要素的占有，这是地位认同“参照系”的重大转变。要真正理解地位层级认同的“向下偏移”，就必须理解社会地位“参照系”的变动，而不仅仅是个体地位“参照点”的变动。建立在收入等市场要素占有基础上的地位参照系具有缺乏稳定性、没有具体边界等特点，因此导致原先的“中层认同”趋向于瓦解，新的“中层认同”又难以建立，地位层级认同出现整体性下移。要想建立起新的“中层认同”，不仅需要提升个体收入和福利，而且要在社会生活层面上通过种种制度方式建立起社会归属和公民认同。

Why Has Status Identification Declined:On the Changes in the Basis of Status Identification

The downward moving of status identification is a very important phenomenon in theory building and policy making. To explain the quantitative downward moving of status identification, we must understand the qualitative changes in the basis of status identification. The statistical analyses show that the effects of the social units that used to be connected with status identification (e.g., types of Danwei, types of Hukou, sense of work honor) have declined significantly, but the effects of the variables that are connected with market elements (e.g., income, income satisfaction, types of occupation) have increased dramatically. The basis of status identification has shifted from perception of affiliation with social units to perception of possession of market opportunities (e.g., earnings), an essential shift in the “reference system”. The key to the understanding of the downward moving of status identification lies in the change of the “reference system” of the social status, not just the change of an individual’s “reference point”. Owing to the shift in the reference system for status identification, the old social unit affiliation based “middle class identification” tends to be falling apart, but the new market elements based status reference system (possessions such as earnings) is hard to be established for “middle class identification” due to its vague boundaries, instability, and overall perceived inequality. So on the one hand, the downward moving of status identification has become a universal phenomenon, not just observed in a particular group or stratus; on the other hand, the improvement of economic conditions and the decline of status identification go hand in hand. For the sake of policy making, this study suggests that, in order to have “middle class identifications”, we should not only improve the incomes and benefits of the individuals but also establish social affiliation and citizen identity through regulations and institutions.