Positioning China in a Rapidly Changing World: A Generational Lens

The transformation of China in the context of contemporary globalization has been predominantly understood through political-economic and geopolitical lenses. Comprising multiple, concurrent processes of urbanization, industrialization, and modernization, China’s globalization also means dramatic changes in people’s lives. Drawing on data from in-depth interviews with key informants in an empirical study on globalization and nostalgia, this paper presents how the globalization generations in China understand the changing relationship between China and the world (especially the West) since the 1980s. Informed by Beck & Beck-Gernsheim (2009) concept of global generations, I closely attend to the three emerging themes that reveal the intersection of globalization and generation. First, individuals who have experienced the pivotal moments of China’s engagement with globalization – such as its open-door policy, participation in the WTO, and the COVID-19 lockdown – often describe them in the context of generations. Second, China’s transformation has been accompanied by some distinctive generational characteristics, such as unprecedented mobility, post-materialistic pursuits, individualism and, even, growing disenchantment with the West, though these effects appear uneven across cohorts. Third, China’s globalization processes have not precluded young generations experiencing many predicaments, including pressure to marry and procreate (especially for women), shrinking opportunities, and an increased perception of prejudice toward the country by the Western world (especially the US). It is concluded that generation is a unique and fruitful lens through which to examine not only the trajectory of globalization at a micro level but, also, people’s divergent experiences (including those across generations). These findings also make visible the nuanced social costs of China’s rapid development in its society and the convergent difficulties (e.g., economic stagnation, unemployment, and political division) shared by young generations elsewhere.