A study examines how the Chinese Communist Revolution influenced social stratification in China. The Chinese Communist Revolution led to the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949 and the registration of Chinese citizens into social classes based on presumed role in aiding the revolution. Although this classification system largely favored underprivileged individuals who did not own property, it is unclear whether these policies succeeded in favoring their descendants. To determine the extent of intergenerational social mobility following the revolution, Yu Xie and Chunni Zhang analyzed longitudinal survey data collected by the China Family Panel Studies in 2010, 2012, 2014, and 2016 from 14,960 households in China. The authors also used Chinese census data and education percentile scores to compare individuals' education level by birth year and gender. Between 1951 and 1965, the secondary, tertiary, and postgraduate education enrollment of children from peasant backgrounds and worker backgrounds increased. Whereas 20% of the children descended from the class of disadvantaged workers and 30% of children descended from the class of revolutionary cadres experienced net upward educational mobility, 17% of children descended from the more privileged class and 10% of children from the upper-middle-class experienced net downward educational mobility. The findings suggest that disadvantaged classes were the main beneficiaries of the revolution, according to the authors.
Article #19-04283: "The long-term impact of the Communist Revolution on social stratification in contemporary China," by Yu Xie and Chunni Zhang.
MEDIA CONTACT: Yu Xie, Princeton University, NJ; tel: 609-258-7080; e-mail: yuxie@princeton.edu; Chunni Zhang, Peking University, Beijing, CHINA; e-mail: chunnizhang@pku.edu.cn
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Journal
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences