Changes in Social Interactions in Reform-Era Urban China

The pattern of social interactions represents social divides and inequality. The homophily principle suggests that people are likely to interact with others of the similar sociodemographic, behavioral and intrapersonal characteristics (McPherson, Simth-Lovin and Cook 2001). As resources are differentially embedded within networks, social interactions represent the hierarchical structures of the society (Lin 2001).

Tönnies (1887) argues that the industrialization changes the pattern of social interaction from Gemeinschaft (community), interactions based on kinships, to Gesellchaft (society), interactions based on education and work. It was confirmed by much empirical work documenting a decline of intergenerational interactions (Cherlin 2012) and an increase of marriage patterns based on education and work (Kalmijn 1998).

We examine the changes in the general pattern of social interactions in the reform-era urban China – a nation with strong cultural traditions regarding kinship ties and one that has experienced rapid economic and industrial development over the past several decades. Using the position generator from two social networks surveys collected in 1998 and 2005, we aim to answer two questions: First, is economic reform associated with interactions less based on kinships and more on occupations? Second, does the pattern differ by gender?