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2012翻译大赛(原文).doc

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WhyEconomicsCan’tExplainOurCulturalDivide Evenduringupturns,blue-collarAmericansaremarryingandworkingless. Somereviewersof“ComingApart”,mynewbookaboutthegrowingculturaldividebetweenAmerica’supperandlowerclasses,havefaultedmeforignoringtheroleofthelabormarketinunderminingoncewidelysharedvaluesinvolvingmarriageandhardwork. Asthesecriticsseeit,thelossofourcommoncultureisaresultnotofculturalchangesbutofshiftsinpolicyandtheeconomy.Overthepastfourdecades,theyargue,theU.S.hasshippedhigh-payingmanufacturingjobsoverseasandunderminedthelaborunionsthatcouldprotectworkers’payandbenefits.Working-classearningsfellmorethan20%fromtheirhighpointin1973,menwerenolongerabletosupportfamilies,andmarriageerodedaccordingly.Demoralizedworkersfelloutofthelaborforce.Theproblemsofthenewlowerclasswouldfadeaway,theysuggest,ifonlywewouldusepublicpolicytogenerateworking-classjobsatgoodwages. Therearetwoproblemswiththislineofargument:Thepurportedcausesdon’texplaintheeffects,andwhethertheyreallywerethecausesdoesn’tmakemuchdifferenceanyway. Startwiththeprevalentbeliefthatthelabormarketaffectedmarriagebecauseofthedisappearanceofthe“familywage”thatenabledaworking-classmantosupportafamilyinmybaselineyearof1960. Itistruethatunionizedjobsatthemajormanufacturersprovidedgenerouswagesin1960.Buttheydidn’tdrivetheoverallwagelevelintheworkingclass.Inthe1960census,themeanannualearningsofwhitemalesages30to49whowereinworking-classoccupations(expressedin2010dollars)was$33,302.In2010,theparallelfigurefromtheCurrentPopulationSurveywas$36,966–morethan$3,000higherthanthe1960mean,usingtheidenticaldefinitionofworking-classoccupations. Thisoccurreddespitethedeclineofprivate-sectorunions,globalization,andalltheotherchangesinthelabormarket.What’smore,thisfiguredoesn’tincludeadditionalincomefromtheEarnedIncomeTaxCredit,abenefitnowenjoyedbythosemakingthelowendofworking-classwages. Ifthepaylevelin1960representedafamilywage,therewasstillafamilywagein2010.Andyet,just48%ofworking-classwhitesages30to49weremarriedin2010,downfrom84%