Class Structure and Social Networks in Chinese Cities

Author: Zhang Wenhong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-11-01
Features: This book is an empirical study on the social class structure and social networks of urban residents in China, attempting to understand the ways and extent to which class status influences the characteristics of network structures. The research applies data from a large-scale social network survey conducted in urban Beijing in the summer of 2000, conducting a quantitative analysis of discussion network data from 1,004 urban adult residents in Beijing. The central hypothesis of the study is that individuals in different class positions have socially centralized networks with distinct structural characteristics. The results indicate that the influence of class status on social network features is primarily due to the different positions people occupy in the class structure, and the impact of class status on network structure is largely unaffected by individual demographic characteristics. The book is logically clear and rigorously argued, serving as an excellent academic work in sociological quantitative research. It provides an integrated perspective for class analysis and network analysis, opening up new research areas. It is also the first individual network research monograph in China.