Chinese Society

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There is no doubt today that the nature of Chinese society is distinctly similar to the society under the Mao era and even under the Deng Xiaoping era. Many attribute this change to the reform and opening that had occurred in China under Deng Xiaoping. The emergence of the internet coupled with sociological shifts has created a China that is closely relatable to the U.S society. This paper will discuss how society has changed through various topics such as, migration, dating, media, youth and religion. In addition, what factors elicited these changes and why?
China’s Migration
As a result of economic development, China’s third wave migration of rich families migrating to the U.S and other western countries has increased. It seemed as if China’s most wealth were giving a vote of no confidence to China. The new rich’s departure to the west suggested that the social environment had worsened. Red capitalism refers to an individual who is not from a communist party-state official’s family, that individual must forge a special relationship with powerful officeholder in order to make his business operation viable. This chapter in Perry Link’s, “Restless China,” discusses the hotel business case and states that for a commercial value to have potential it has to be controlled by the public official. This would allow the public official to collude with the manager to abuse the public property, including the financial returns in order to maximize their own personal gain. Hotel industry is not as lucrative, however, coal mining is. China has the largest coal mining industry in the world, a significant portion of the richest people in China are owners or managers of coal mines. Law enforcement personnel’s involvement in unlawful moneymaking...

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...internet and other technologies, along with urbanization and the abandonment of the Danwei system have led to a youth culture that is more independent. These factors are also in conjunction with the reform and opening to western influences. Without these influences and innovations, it would be difficult for Chinese today to voice their grievances over environmental policy, corruption in the education system and other social issues such as the one-child policy. It remains to be seen in the future how the communist party will adhere to communist ideals, while at the same time allowing capitalism and democratic values to take over its society.

Works Cited

Lijun Yang & Yongnian Zheng (2012): Fen Qings (Angry Youth) in Contemporary
China, Journal of Contemporary China, 21:76, 637-653
Link, E. Perry. Restless China. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc., 2013.

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