Trends in Class Mobility and Education in China

This paper studies the trends in intergenerational class mobility pattern in the People’s Republic of China in a comparative perspective, based on an analysis of five cohorts from two national representative surveys conducted in 1996 and 2005 respectively. In the context of rapid economic industrialization and dramatic social changes since 1949, the absolute mobility rates in China have increased over time, particularly for younger cohorts. The relative mobility patterns were largely stable for both men and women, despite the initial implementation and subsequent dismantling of socialist egalitarian programs. While education played an important role in intergenerational social reproduction, the effect of origin on educational attainment does not change over time; neither does the effect of education on destination. Despite the constant social fluidity, the rural-urban divide also led to certain distinctive features of Chinese mobility patterns that deviate from the core mobility models.