Chinese Journal of Sociology

Power Space and Governance Performance: An Analysis Based on Shanghai Urban Neighborhood Survey

SHENG Zhiming, ZHOU Qing

2021, 41(5): 1-30.

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Why do communities in different spatial areas have different governance performance? Applying the perspective of spatial theory, this paper proposes an analytical concept of "power space". The concept refers to the distance between a community and the city administrative power center. Based on the data from Shanghai Urban Neighborhood Survey(SUNS), this study examines the variation in governance performance by communities that locate in different areas of the city power spatial structure, and analyzes the cause and mechanism of the differences. The study suggests that the spatial distance between the community and the center of governance power is not merely physical and geographical, it is social and political as well. We find that the distance to the center of power has a significant effect on the community's governance performances that are easily observable but little effect on those less perceptible. This reveals that "power space" affects strongly on things that can be easily recognized by higher level officials, but not things less visible but appreciated by residents. Such a pattern can be explained by the current governance performance assessment system and incentive mechanism. Power space exercises its influence through the mechanism of public resource allocation and performance benchmarks, which is equally applicable to other areas of social governance. In sum, this study contributes to a better understanding of the underlying logic of current grassroots social governance.

Are Young People More Friendly to Migrants? A Cohort Comparison Study Between Hong Kong and Shanghai

LI Jun, XU Meili, ZHANG Zhuoni, GU Peiwei

2021, 41(5): 31-55.

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Previous studies in political economy and political psychology on attitudes towards (im)migrants have put forward various theoretical hypotheses but have largely neglected the importance of cohort comparison. While some studies suggested that young people are more friendly towards (im)migrants, others had opposite findings. This suggests that the identification and interpretation of cohort effects must take into consideration of the specific socioeconomic conditions in which young people are located. In this paper, we compare cohort variations in attitudes towards (im)migrants in Hong Kong and Shanghai, two cities under "One country, Two systems" framework in China. We also examine previous explanations such as macroeconomic environment, individual economic interests, fiscal or welfare responsibilities, group threats or contacts, and local or national identity, and etc. We find that the interweaving effect of these factors resulted in differences among the young people in Hong Kong and Shanghai in their attitudes towards (im)migrants. Relative to older generations, young people in Shanghai are more acceptant than their counterparts in Hong Kong towards migrants. Such a difference can be partially explained by education, life satisfaction and local identity. The differences in the three factors as well as their associations are correlated to the acceptant or resistant attitudes towards (im)migrants, resulting in the cohort difference between the two global cities. In terms of magnitude of mediation effects, while education and life satisfaction have strong influences in Shanghai, local identity plays a dominant role in Hong Kong. Therefore, in order to alleviate negative attitudes towards (im)migrants, it is necessary to take measures in fundamentals such as boosting economic development and promoting equitable benefit distribution, restraining local identity and fostering dual identity, improving education and delivering inclusive values.

Spatial Concentration and Social Distance of Migrants: Evidences from Shanghai

ZENG Donglin, WU Xiaogang, CHEN Wei

2021, 41(5): 56-79.

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This paper examines whether the spatial concentration of migrants from the same province of origin is associated with a larger social distance toward the native residents in Shanghai. We develop theoretical hypotheses that the spatial concentration of in-group members, measured as migrants with the same province of origin, reinforces their group identity and enlarges their perceived social distance toward natives. Applying spatial clustering analysis to government register-based data, we first define spatial concentration as a high representation of in-group members in a series of adjacent neighborhoods. Specifically, we adopt the Hot Spot Analysis tool to calculate the Getis-Ord Gi^* statistics for the distribution of each migrant group across residential neighborhoods and identify statistically significant spatial clusters of high values(hot spots) and low values(cold spots). We then link respondents with government register-based data by information on the geographic location of each respondent in the SUNS and distinguish migrants living in spatially clustered neighborhoods from their counterparts living elsewhere.
This study has two main findings. First, the spatial concentration of in-group members reinforces group identity. Migrants living in spatially clustered neighborhoods tend to demonstrate a higher level of group identity than their counterparts living elsewhere. Second, group boundaries highlighted by the spatial concentration of in-group members enlarge the social distance between migrants and native residents. That is, migrants living in spatially clustered neighborhoods tend to have a larger social distance toward natives. We argue that the increased social distance can be explained by the residential segregation created by the spatial concentration of in-group members. We further classify spatially clustered neighborhoods into segregated and non-segregated neighborhoods. Compared with migrants living in non-clustered neighborhoods, only those living in segregated neighborhoods have a larger social distance toward native residents. We suspect that the social norms and culture of migrants are maintained by the spatial concentration of in-group members in local neighborhoods. The group solidarity created by residential segregation may reduce social contact between in-group members and outsiders. This study makes several contributions. First, we contribute to the literature on the social consequences of the residential concentration of migrants. Second, we extend the research on the association between residential segregation and social assimilation by examining how social distance is associated with the spatial concentration of in-group members in the context of internal migration. Third, we adopt an innovative measure of residential segregation. Therefore, our study contributes to understanding the social adaptation of migrants in cities from a perspective of spatial concentration.

Knowledge Genealogy of Social Morphology-Human Ecology and Path Choice of “Localization of Chinese Sociology”

BI Xiangyang

2021, 41(5): 80-116.

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As the doctrines of the two largest and most influential professional sociological groups in the world, the social morphology of the Durkheim School and the human ecology of the Chicago School are connected in intellectual genealogy. Habwach's visit to Chicago and the subsequent interaction of the two theoretical schools across the continents bore witness to the basic development pattern of sociology in Europe and America at the time. The social morphology of Mauss, Halbwachs, and Granet exerted a significant influence on sociological and anthropological research in Europe, including a series of important works produced in conjunction with human ecology by French urban sociology. In comparison, such influences were much lesser on American sociology as it was dominated by the tradition of human ecology. The development of modern Chinese sociology followed a similar pattern. The ideas and researches of Wu Wenzao, Yang Kun and others, each with different academic traditions, influenced the path choice of the Chinese adaptation of sociology in the 1930s-40s, and ultimately helped shape the research style of the "Chinese School of Sociology". This is most evident in a series of achievements in community studies. However, due to its potential shortcomings, community research attracted critical scrutinies from Leach, Friedman and others. In his later years, influenced to some extent by the Durkheim School, Fei Xiaotong reflected on the criticism and brought changes in Chinese contemporary community research. A number of excellent works emerged, focusing on totality and cross community boundaries, emphasizing historical dimensions and event processes, and centering on local issues. In a sense, this can be regarded as a confluence of social morphology and human ecology in a Chinese context occurred a century later.

“Social Organism” in Debate: A Conceptual History of Social Organismic Theories in Victorian Britain

GUAN Yiran

2021, 41(5): 117-152.

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Nourished in the tradition of Hegelian Idealism and Comtean Positivism, the concept of "social organism" became an important part in the Victorian political and social thoughts. Through the articulation of numerous theorists, not only was it endowed with rich meanings and explanatory potentials, but was also employed as a powerful rhetorical tool in the Victorian political debate on social reform at the end of the 19th century. The concept of "social organism" first entered the discourse of Herbert Spencer and his disciples to defend their individualistic notion of natural rights and free competition against the power of the state. Later, Spencer's critics formulated more authoritarian interpretations of the concept, paving the way for the institutionalization of public education, charity, urban governance and other public affairs. This eventually led to the re-conceptualization of "social organism" by new-liberalists into a concept that justified social reform, welfare system and state intervention. In the meantime, "social organism" gradually lost its multiple and fluid meanings, ending with a dominant form of explanation that marginalized others. This intellectual event had been successful in introducing the concept of "social organism", previously alien to liberalism, to the nineteenth-century liberal effort of imagining a more cohesive, mutually-dependent society, while also enabling its intellectual participation in the transformation of British society from an industrial kind glorifying laissez-faire principles and individualsim, to a welfare society laying more emphasis on equity and the state's duty for the well-being of the citizens. This study adopts Quentin Skinner's "Cambridge School" method of conceptual history to examine the evolution of the concept of "social organism" during the Victorian period. It serves the purpose of providing a historical narrative of the shifts in the 19th century British liberal political and social ideas.

Gender as Productivity: Making and Maintaining Gender Spectacle in Bars

LIU Zixi, HUANG Yanhua

2021, 41(5): 153-179.

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Different from the production in traditional industries, the boundary between production and consumption process is rather blurred in the leisure and entertainment industry. How to effectively incorporate consumers into the collective production process of pleasure experience is an important issue for capital operation in the era of consumerism. This paper is an investigation of bar business strategy and consumer experience from the perspective of "the society of the spectacle". It puts forward two concepts of "gender spectacle" and "mutual spectacle". The paper finds that construction and maintenance of gender spectacle are the core strategy of bar business profitability and high capital investment return. By observing the mainstream gender culture and skillfully managing time and space, businesses carefully orchestrate a spectacle order in which women and men act respectively as producers and consumers of pleasure experience. Differences and divisions within the same gender group are created to form a "center-periphery" core order, as well as a partial order that subverts the mainstream gender culture. It is a mutual spectacle through the cooperation of all involved and together they contribute to the construction and maintenance of the bar gender spectacle order while bar operators become invisible scenery setters. This paper contributes to the micro empirical foundation of the spectacle theory. It opens up discussion on the construction mechanism of spectacle and the subjectivity of agents, and adds to the analysis of the development of gender culture in the context of consumer society. In sum, this paper helps further the discussion on the logic of capital of consumer capitalism.

Human Nature and Politics of Commercial Society: Mandeville on Sociableness and Commercial State

ZHANG Shuai

2021, 41(5): 180-207.

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Recent researches on commercial sociability and commercial states reveal the great progress made by the eighteenth century political and moral theorists compared with their predecessors in the seventeenth century, and the relevance of their thought to our contemporary society. However, scholars have not yet noticed Mandeville's contribution in this regard. This paper demonstrates the importance of Mandeville's theoretical contribution in two aspects. Firstly, Mandeville's theory of "sociableness" shows how commercial prosperity and luxury in a society are based on hypocrisy and politeness, which are further supported by the deep-rooted pride in human nature. This new theory changes the Hobbesian version of human nature and provides a key to understanding the logic of commercial society. Secondly, Mandeville keenly points out the complex relationships between politics and commercial society. The state is essential in establishing and maintaining orders in a large commercial society, which in turn plays a crucial role for the survival of the state in international competition. In fact, Mandeville's acceptance of a morally dubious commercial society grows out of his sober awareness of international circumstances. His profound insight into the political power and moral dilemmas of the commercial society has decisively shaped the trend of political and moral philosophy thereafter. Only by incorporating moral and political perspectives into our inquires can we better grasp the theoretical significance of "commercial society".

“Concession” from Brothers and “Gift” from Mothers: Predominance of Girls in After-school Education and the Logic of Family Preferences

WEI Qingong, ZHANG Jianan

2021, 41(5): 208-242.

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The gender gap in access to family educational resources is an important social determinant in gender inequality. Contradicting to the conventional "boy first" model of household resource allocation, many studies find that Chinese families nowadays invest preferably on girls in after-school education. This study focuses on this empirical fact that has not been examined in depth and attempts to explore its key influence mechanism as well as the relationship between macro-level family structural changes and micro-level family behavioral orientations. Its aim is to complement the current research debates and explanations on gender preference. Starting from the theoretical context of intergenerational resource allocation, the article suggests two explanatory hypotheses of "child utility change-gender preference shift" and "mother's status enhancement-parental preference divergence" in the analysis of the succession of intergenerational preference patterns. An analysis of the China Education Panel Survey(2013-2014) data is conducted of families with male siblings and different education levels of parents. The statistical results show robustly that the presence of brothers in the family does not negatively impact girls' access to after school educational resources and that girls in urban families has a pronounced advantage over boys, and overall there is a tentative shift from "male preference" to "female preference" in Chinese families. In addition, under reciprocal controls, advancement of father's education has no significant effect on children but a significant positive effect of mother's educational advancement is observed on girls' access to after-school educational resources, and this effect is even more prominent with younger parents, exhibiting a clear pattern of "dual preferences". These findings, at the empirical level, reveal the increased family utility of girls compared to boys in the process of social change and the opportunity for gender preferences to emerge as a result of the enhanced status of mothers.

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