Chinese Journal of Sociology ›› 2018, Vol. 38 ›› Issue (1): 215-237.

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Chinese People's Perceptions about Meritocracy

LI Zhonglu   

  1. College of Psychology and Sociology, Shenzhen University
  • Online:2018-01-20 Published:2018-01-20

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Abstract:

The allocation of occupational positions and economic wealth based primarily on merits has been widely accepted as a principle of economic justice in modern societies. However,relatively few studies have empirically examined ordinary Chinese people's perceptions of the meritocratic allocation of social rewards. To extend our knowledge about public attitudes towards mobility opportunities,this paper seeks to examine ordinary people's beliefs about determinants of getting ahead through analyzing the recently national representative data from China Family Panel Studies (CFPS2010). Empirical results show that:Firstly,about 60 percent of Chinese people tend to believe that individual education and hard work are more important than family origins for economic wealth and success. Secondly,Chinese people's perceptions of meritocracy are closely related to their objective status,and people with a higher socioeconomic status tend to more believe in meritocracy than their lower-status counterparts. Thirdly,young adults growing up in the market reform era are more likely to hold stronger meritocratic beliefs than their counterparts who have experienced the planned economy. Finally,the income inequality at county level has significantly negative effects on public perceptions of meritocracy;especially for those with lower socioeconomic status. This paper extends our understanding of the reasons for Chinese citizens' increasing tolerance of inequality against the sharp rise in income discrepancies in the reform era,because that most of Chinese people hold strong belief that merits are playing a more important role than family origin in socioeconomic advancement in modern China. However,it should be noted that Chinese people's perceptions about meritocracy are highly related to their socioeconomic status.

Key words: meritocracy, socioeconomic status, income inequality, marketization