工业化时代消费观念在美国社会的变迁(1880-1920)

长期以来,生产在美国人的心目中一直占据着中心地位,而对消费持抑制态度。短缺经济的现实和清教禁欲主义伦理为这一观念提供了基础。但是在工业化时期美国社会发生了巨大的变化:一方面,工业化创造了丰裕的物质财富;另一方面,工业化和机械化改变了工人劳动的性质和意义,带来劳动的异化。在这种情况下,人们对消费在生活和社会发展中的地位和作用的看法发生了变化,强调消费者地位的边际学派应运而生,知识分子和家庭预算专家也开始对消费在美国人生活中的地位进行新的审视,传统的消费观动摇,消费的地位上升。

The Variance of Consumption Ideas in American Society During Industrialization (1880-1920)

For a long time,American people took the production as the dominant position and restrained their consumption.Economic shortage and Puritan asceticism provided the basis for this idea.However,American society was greatly changed during industrialization.First,the industrialization brought great wealth to the society;on the other hand,the industrialization and mechanization changed the nature and meanings of production.So,the consumption had the new meanings in human society and people's notion,and a marginal school which focused the position of consumers was appeared.Some scholars and specialists in family budgeting began to pay more attention to the importance of consumption for American people.Then the traditional consumption notion was changed and the position of consumption was raised.