Inequality and Social Class in Contemporary China: A Critical Review and Future Directions

This article examines the theoretical foundations, challenges, and future directions of class analysis in contemporary China through a comprehensive review of existing literature and frameworks. While China’s market-oriented reforms since 1978 have led to unprecedented economic growth, they have also generated complex patterns of social stratification that challenge traditional theoretical frameworks. The study critically evaluates four theoretical approaches to class analysis: Wright’s neo-Marxist framework, Goldthorpe’s neo-Weberian schema, Grusky’s neo-Durkheimian perspective, and Bourdieu’s theory of capital interplay. The analysis reveals significant limitations in applying these Western-derived frameworks to China’s unique social context, characterized by the coexistence of state and market forces, persistent institutional features such as the hukou system, and distinctive patterns of cultural capital formation. Four major challenges are identified: the inadequacy of conventional class theories in capturing China’s hybrid socialist market economy, the emergence of new forms of stratification in the digital era, political sensitivity surrounding class discourse, and methodological difficulties in measuring subjective dimensions of class experience. The study argues for developing an integrated theoretical framework that synthesizes structural analysis with cultural and symbolic dimensions while remaining sensitive to China’s specific institutional context. The findings contribute to both theoretical advancement in sociology and practical insights for addressing social inequality in China’s rapidly transforming society.