Book Description

The main goal of this study was to examine life chances among urban residents of China over time. Respondents aged 25-65 provided retrospective information concerning their education, work experience, political party membership, housing, family structure, and other social indicators. Those polled were asked about the type of education they received, whether they had an educational specialty (law, medicine, etc.), and what the location of their school was. Housing information collected on respondents included number of residents in the household, number of rooms, and living space, as well as whether there was a kitchen, tap water, a toilet, and a phone in the household. Respondents were also asked when they started working, in what economic sector, what the size of their work unit was, where it was located, and the type of ownership, as well as what their occupation was, whether it was a permanent or a temporary job, and the type of official position they held (party, administrative, technical, or other position). Additionally, respondents described their satisfaction with current living conditions and their state of health, and provided information on their family background (peasants, workers, military, clerks, etc.). Other information gathered on respondents included gender, date of birth, marital status, number of children, number of siblings, Youth League and Communist Party membership, and respondents' monthly income. Basic information related to respondents' parents (age, education, occupation, Communist Party membership, and others) was also provided. The same information was collected on respondents' spouses (spousal information was provided by either the spouse or the respondent) ... Cf. : http://webapp.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR-STUDY/03552.xml.