中間層

• 読み: ちゅうかんそう
• ローマ字: chūkansō
• 漢字の分解: 中 (chū) — middle; 間 (kan) — between, interval; 層 (sō) — layer, stratum, class
• 発音: /tɕɯːkansōː/

意味

Middle class; middle stratum. The broad social layer between the wealthy elite and the economically disadvantaged.

A sociological compound of 中間 (middle, intermediate) and 層 (layer, stratum). In Japanese discourse, 中間層 carries both economic and cultural connotations: stable employment, homeownership, and strong investment in children's education. The perceived erosion of 中間層 following the 1990s economic stagnation has been a defining theme of Heisei-era social commentary.

例文

1. 格差拡大により中間層が縮小しているという調査結果が出た。
2. 中間層の購買力回復が日本経済の鍵を握ると専門家は言う。
3. 一億総中流と呼ばれた時代に比べ、今の中間層の実態は大きく変わった。

使い方ガイド

場面: sociology, economics, politics, media

トーン: neutral

起源と歴史

Compound of 中間 (chūkan) — middle, intermediate, and 層 (sō) — layer, stratum, class. The sociological use of 層 for social strata reflects the influence of German-style stratification theory adopted into Japanese social science in the Meiji and Taisho eras.

文化的背景

時代: Shōwa–Reiwa

世代: Adults

社会的背景: General