Introduction
In the last few decades, China introduced economic and social reforms that created a rapid increase in household income in the country. Based on these reforms, a dominant middle class emerged (Wang 1). These reforms also led to new changes in China’s political, social and economic spaces. To explain this phenomenon, this paper answers three questions (1) what is the cost of forming this middle class (2) what led to the emergence of this middle class (3) how has the formation of the middle class in China intensified new social stratification in post-socialist China
What Led to the Emergence of the Middle Class?
Changes in the Education System
The quest for better jobs led many Chinese people to attain higher education qualifications (Fong 87). In this regard, there was an increased vibrancy in the education system, which helped to educate more people, thereby empowering them to secure high paying jobs. Broadly, this trend created a new class of people (middle class) who purchased more goods and services in the economy (Fong 96-97).
Liberalization of the Economy
The legalization of private business also led to the growth of the middle class because people who could not get jobs, and those that did not have the connections to get a job, started new businesses that allowed them to earn a living. Particularly, those that were skilled, lucky and daring became wealthy in this regard (Fong 96-97). This period was profitable for businesspersons because few legislations and taxes prevented them from doing business. Most people who started small businesses this way offered an alternative for low-income people, who could not patronize large businesses, to buy goods and services (Fong 96-97).
Social Aspirations
Heightened social aspirations among the Chinese people led to the rise of the middle class because many people did not want to be in a low class (Fong Paradise Redefined 95). Through the aspiration to belong to a higher social class, many people worked harder, studied harder and looked for new opportunities to improve their welfare. For example, many Chinese people left the country in the late 20th century and moved to foreign lands to seek better jobs (Fong Paradise Redefined 95). The majority wanted new educational and job opportunities to take care of their parents and children. While most of them succeeded in this regard, others failed to live their dream.
What is the Cost of Forming this Middle Class?
Individual level
With the creation of a middle class in China, there has been increased pressure to conform to the prestige and status associated with middle class people. While this pressure could be positive (by promoting competition and high standards of achievement), it has come with a huge individual cost to different people. Those who have had trouble meeting societal expectations have committed suicide and fallen into depression (Fong 87). Evidence of this cost exists in the Chinese education space where students have committed suicide because of poor grades (Fong 87). Mostly, pressures from parents and peers have driven such students to commit suicide.
Societal level
Economically, the rise of the middle class has led to an increase in the cost of living in China because there has been a rapid increase in consumption within this demographic. For example, there has been a steady rise in the consumption of luxury goods (foods, electronics and clothing) among the middle class (Zhang 107). There has also been a steady increase in the price of houses and cars because of increased demand by the middle class. Collectively, this trend has led to an increase in the cost of living in China.
How this Process has Intensified new Social Stratification in Post-Socialist China
The emergence of a new middle class in China has threatened the communist social strata that characterized the Chinese society (Zhang 26-27). In its place, there has been a hybrid economic and distribution system. Similarly, the class system has changed because people are more preoccupied with private ownership of property and services, as opposed to communal property ownership. In line with this trend is private home ownership because many people are increasingly attracted to the western-styled home ownership model. Furthermore, the commercialization of urban land is another palpable change that signifies how the Chinese society is changing through the emergence of a dominant middle class. Observers say this trend has pushed the Chinese society closer to the pre-socialist period (Zhang 26-27).
The emergence of a dominant middle class in China has also led to localized social struggles across Chinese social strata. Violent class struggles have also emerged in desolated areas (Zhang 26-27). This fact highlights a silent trend in China, where many people are being displaced from urban areas to pave way for commercial developments that intend to cater to the needs of the middle class (such as modern housing) (Zhang 27). The economic and social changes that led to the emergence of the Chinese middle class also intensified new social stratification by decreasing the number of low-income people. Of importance is the increased transition of people from a low-class to the middle class (class mobility). This trend outlines a shift in the demographics of China because there are larger numbers of people in the middle class group compared to people in the low-income group.
Works Cited
Fong, Vanessa. Only Hope: Coming Of Age under China’s One Child Policy, Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2004. Print.
— Paradise Redefined: Transnational Chinese Students and the Quest for Flexible Citizenship in the Developed World, Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2010. Print.
Wang, Helen. The Chinese Dream: The Rise of the World’s Largest Middle Class and What It Means to You, Washington, DC: Bestseller Press. Print.
Zhang, Li. In Search of Paradise: Middle-Class Living in a Chinese Metropolis, Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 2010. Print.