Class Boundaries in Cross-Class Friendships: A Preliminary Study Based on Social Eating Network Data in China

China’s class structure is changing dramatically after market-oriented economic reforms. Economic marketization and privatization of ownership has created a new pattern of social stratification, which differs from the cadre-dominated social hierarchy in the state socialist era. Based on a  national survey in China which reported social eating network among 5000 households, this paper documented social networks structure among 12 occupation-based classes, and examined patterns of friendship ties across class boundaries. In particular, analysis of strength and diversity of cross-class social ties suggests (1) the pattern of friendship is affected by social class structure, and social resources can be mobilized across class boundary through social network channels, (2)Varying degrees of social-network cohesion is exhibited among different social classes, (3) the manual-unmanual boundary is significantly more permeable than authority, expertise and property -based class boundaries.