The Making of the Chinese Middle Class Small Comfort and Great Expectations |
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| Author:
| Rocca, Jean-Louis |
| Series title: | The Sciences Po Series in International Relations and Political Economy Ser. |
| ISBN: | 978-1-349-95380-6 |
| Publication Date: | Jun 2018 |
| Publisher: | Palgrave Macmillan
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| Imprint: | Palgrave Macmillan |
| Book Format: | Paperback |
| List Price: | USD $119.99USD $109.99 |
Book Description:
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This book analyses the making of the Chinese middle class that started in the 1990s using a constructivist approach. With the development of the Chinese economy, a new group of middle wage earners appeared. Chinese social scientists and state institutions promoted the idea that China needs a middle class to achieve modernization. Middle class members are defined--and define themselves--as good consumers, educated people, politically engaged but reasonable citizens. As such, the making...
More DescriptionThis book analyses the making of the Chinese middle class that started in the 1990s using a constructivist approach. With the development of the Chinese economy, a new group of middle wage earners appeared. Chinese social scientists and state institutions promoted the idea that China needs a middle class to achieve modernization. Middle class members are defined--and define themselves--as good consumers, educated people, politically engaged but reasonable citizens. As such, the making of the middle class is the result of three convergent phenomena: an attempt to define the middle class, a process of civilization, and the development of protest movements. The making of the Chinese middle class, Rocca argues, is a way to end the stalemate that modern Chinese society is facing, in particular the necessity to democratize without introducing an election system.