ABSTRACT Despite much research on the middle class in India, this still remains an ambiguous category. There is a range of parameters used to map class; however, the variations only reflect the numerous ways in which it can be theorized. In this paper, I turn my focus on housework to understand diversity within the middle class. I question the consumption model with a gender lens, based on women’s experiences of running households. While increased capacity for purchase and greater interface with the market by the “new” middle classes may imply greater consumption, the institutions of family and marriage play a significant role in decision-making pertaining to expenditure. Although women are primarily addressed as consumers, their contribution via household chores is critical to maintaining middle class “status.” By examining experiences of housework, in this paper I question existing consumption-centric frameworks of class.

中文翻译：

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概念化“中产”阶级：通过家务叙述的反思

摘要 尽管对印度中产阶级进行了大量研究，但这仍然是一个模棱两可的类别。有一系列用于映射类的参数；然而，这些变化只反映了它可以被理论化的多种方式。在本文中，我将重点放在家务上，以了解中产阶级的多样性。我以女性的经营家庭经验为基础，从性别角度质疑消费模式。虽然“新”中产阶级的购买能力增加和与市场接触的更多可能意味着更大的消费，但家庭和婚姻制度在与支出有关的决策中发挥着重要作用。尽管女性主要被视为消费者，但她们通过家务做出的贡献对于维持中产阶级的“地位”至关重要。