Value differences between generations in China: a study in Shanghai

Abstract

The 1990 World Values Survey demonstrated that industrialization promotes a shift from traditional to secular-rational values. Drawing data from a sample survey of 2,350 respondents in Shanghai, this study examines the impact of social change on people's values in China. Specifically, we are interested in (1) are there significant differences in values between different generations in China? (2) Do younger generations tend to have more modern values? (3) What are the main factors that affect the differences? The results show that the younger generations in China have already shifted from traditional values to modern values in a recent social transformation process. In addition, the younger generations tend to be more secular. They are more likely to regard self-development as the most important thing in life rather than making contributions to the country and society. Further, the younger generations are more individualistic than the old generations. They are more likely to live according to their own lifestyles regardless of what others think. Thus, they are less likely to follow the traditional collective ideology. Overall, the study shows significant generational gaps in value orientations in China.

Keywords:

• generation
• youth culture

Notes

1. ‘Da Guo Fan’ is a Chinese term meaning everyone eats from the same big pot regardless of their work or contributions. It is used to refer to excessive egalitarianism. The ‘Da GuoFan’ system was blamed for rewarding the work-shy and being a major factor in the serious material shortages that plagued China in the 1960s and 1970s.