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Understanding Contemporary Chinese Youth

May 22-2025   



Youth in the Eyes of Sociology

How does sociology view youth? Let me introduce three keywords to explain this.

 

Keyword 1: Socialization

Socialization is the process of nurturing new members of society according to social expectations. There are six core themes related to the socialization of young people: social mobility opportunities, class and personal interest formation, the integrity of the socialization process, youth peer influence and adolescent rebellion, gender socialization, and finally the intergenerational transmission of social problems.

 

Keyword 2: Rites of Passage

A rite of passage is an important concept in anthropology, as it gives people a new social role that matches their rights and obligations through dramatization and symbolization. Modern society also has many rites of passage. The overlap of multiple rites of passage can put considerable pressure on contemporary youth.

 

Keyword 3: Master Status

A master status is a person's most central social role, marking their social status and destiny. The consistency of young people's expectations for the future in contemporary China is increasing day by day, raising the question of whether all young Chinese people should lead a certain kind of life. Can we ensure that all young people have a happy future?

 

Salient Problems of Global Youth & Their Sociological Explanations

Boomerang Children: This phenomenon is criticized because it violates the principle of financial independence for adults, but in sociology, it is seen as an important mechanism for intergenerational emotional communication and as a way to affirm the significance of life for the younger generation in contemporary China.

Mouse Tribe: This is criticized because it reflects a failure in the shaping of expected lifestyles, and because adults can only afford living spaces that are below the standard of living. However, in sociology, the ability of cities to provide affordable housing for young people as one of the most important dimensions of a city's openness.

Homebody: This is often seen as a social fear or symbolic rejection of mainstream lifestyles.

Great Ambition but Little Talent: It’s generally criticized as a failure to invest in family human resources as a result of inadequate personal training. However, sociology sees this as an important manifestation of structural discrimination in the labour market against graduates of second- and third-tier institutions, a result of the rapid expansion of higher education.

A Lack of Professional Loyalty: It’s more directly related to chronic underpayment in certain industries, with re-employment after leaving a job being an informal strategy to achieve normal labour compensation.

 

Social Psychology & Behaviour of Contemporary Chinese Youth

Maslow's hierarchy of needs is one of the most successful social theories of the last 100 years. It divides human needs, from basic to advanced, into the following categories: survival; security; social; love and belonging; self-esteem; and self-actualization.

In terms of economic participation, young people are still a disadvantaged group. This leads to problems with their psychosocial needs, particularly with regard to security and status. Despite their high spending power and desire to spend money in a variety of ways, young people's budgets are inadequate, which leaves them economically deficient. At the same time, intimate relationships are becoming more instrumentalized and commercialized. In the political sphere, the importance of Chinese youth is also becoming apparent. They will also be the main actors in political consumerism, using changes in trade relations and transnational and cross-border consumption activities to reconfigure interstate relations or criticize international brands that violate moral standards.

Understanding Contemporary Chinese Youth

May 22-2025   



Youth in the Eyes of Sociology

How does sociology view youth? Let me introduce three keywords to explain this.

 

Keyword 1: Socialization

Socialization is the process of nurturing new members of society according to social expectations. There are six core themes related to the socialization of young people: social mobility opportunities, class and personal interest formation, the integrity of the socialization process, youth peer influence and adolescent rebellion, gender socialization, and finally the intergenerational transmission of social problems.

 

Keyword 2: Rites of Passage

A rite of passage is an important concept in anthropology, as it gives people a new social role that matches their rights and obligations through dramatization and symbolization. Modern society also has many rites of passage. The overlap of multiple rites of passage can put considerable pressure on contemporary youth.

 

Keyword 3: Master Status

A master status is a person's most central social role, marking their social status and destiny. The consistency of young people's expectations for the future in contemporary China is increasing day by day, raising the question of whether all young Chinese people should lead a certain kind of life. Can we ensure that all young people have a happy future?

 

Salient Problems of Global Youth & Their Sociological Explanations

Boomerang Children: This phenomenon is criticized because it violates the principle of financial independence for adults, but in sociology, it is seen as an important mechanism for intergenerational emotional communication and as a way to affirm the significance of life for the younger generation in contemporary China.

Mouse Tribe: This is criticized because it reflects a failure in the shaping of expected lifestyles, and because adults can only afford living spaces that are below the standard of living. However, in sociology, the ability of cities to provide affordable housing for young people as one of the most important dimensions of a city's openness.

Homebody: This is often seen as a social fear or symbolic rejection of mainstream lifestyles.

Great Ambition but Little Talent: It’s generally criticized as a failure to invest in family human resources as a result of inadequate personal training. However, sociology sees this as an important manifestation of structural discrimination in the labour market against graduates of second- and third-tier institutions, a result of the rapid expansion of higher education.

A Lack of Professional Loyalty: It’s more directly related to chronic underpayment in certain industries, with re-employment after leaving a job being an informal strategy to achieve normal labour compensation.

 

Social Psychology & Behaviour of Contemporary Chinese Youth

Maslow's hierarchy of needs is one of the most successful social theories of the last 100 years. It divides human needs, from basic to advanced, into the following categories: survival; security; social; love and belonging; self-esteem; and self-actualization.

In terms of economic participation, young people are still a disadvantaged group. This leads to problems with their psychosocial needs, particularly with regard to security and status. Despite their high spending power and desire to spend money in a variety of ways, young people's budgets are inadequate, which leaves them economically deficient. At the same time, intimate relationships are becoming more instrumentalized and commercialized. In the political sphere, the importance of Chinese youth is also becoming apparent. They will also be the main actors in political consumerism, using changes in trade relations and transnational and cross-border consumption activities to reconfigure interstate relations or criticize international brands that violate moral standards.