This is a study of social stratification in China. It will administer and analyze a survey of a large scale national probability sample in the People's Republic of China, consisting of both urban and rural adults, village leaders, intelligentsia, entrepreneurs, and administrators of organizations. The aim of this research is (a) to better understand the system, of social stratification and mobility in China, particularly during the recent period of market transition, but also earlier periods in the Communist Era, particularly the Cultural Revolution; (b) to test specific theories about the effect of the market transition on the relative importance of political and economic assets; and (c) to compare China to Eastern Europe, where the investigators are also conducting research, to test various theories about the role of institutional arrangements in social mobility. %%% An important feature of this project will be the creation of a sizable research team of Chinese and U.S.-based researchers that will work together for several years on the analysis of data and writing of research reports, a research team that will overlap with and coordinate their work with a similarly-constituted research group from six countries in eastern Europe. Thus the project goes a long way toward creation of a world-wide network of scientists conducting research on democratization and market transition. The findings of the research will guide American policy makers in understanding the vast social and economic changes currently in progress in China, the most populous nation on earth and a vast market for American industry.
