Understanding Social Changes in China

Drawing on two decades of data from the Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS), this collection examines fundamental social transformations in contemporary China across gender, marriage, living arrangements, and subjective well-being from 2003 to 2021.

The contributions utilise longitudinal CGSS data to analyse key dimensions of social change including women's labour force participation patterns, evolving school-to-work transitions, changing residential independence amongst young adults, intermarriage trends across hukou boundaries, and the complex relationships between personal achievement, marriage, and happiness. Through rigorous quantitative analysis, the chapters reveal how gender ideologies, social attitudes, and subjective social status have shifted during China's rapid economic transformation. The studies employ sophisticated methodological approaches including age-period-cohort analysis and comparative frameworks to chart both continuity and change in Chinese social life, offering insights into social reproduction, status alignment, and the dynamics of happiness in a changing economic landscape.

This volume will be of interest to researchers and advanced students in Chinese studies, sociology, social policy, and comparative social research, as well as scholars working in gender studies, family sociology, and survey methodology. The collection serves as an essential resource for courses on contemporary Chinese society, social change, and quantitative social research methods. This book was originally published as a special issue of Chinese Sociological Review.