ditorial Committee Page ix
List of Tables xi
List of Figures xv
Introduction: The Changing Chinese Society 1
 Li Peilin
 I. Social Construction: Theory and Practices 2
 II. Great Changes in People’s Livelihood 7
 III. Challenges and Issues in Social Construction 16
 IV. China Enters the New Growth Stage of Development 17
 V. Primary Mission of the New Stage of Growth 21
 VI. Survey Methods and Data Explanation 28
Chapter 1 The People’s Livelihood in China 47
 Li Peilin and Li Wei
 I. Urban and Rural Residents’ Living Conditions 49
 II. Public Opinions on Social Problem and Social Contradiction 59
 III. Urban and Rural Residents’ Sense of Security, Sense of Justice, and Degree of Satisfaction 63
 IV. Countermeasures and Suggestions on Improving People’s Livelihoods 68
Chapter 2 China in the Mass Consumption Stage 71
 Tian Feng
 I. Urban and Rural Residents’ Consumption Patterns and Characteristics 72
 II. Differences and Problems in Urban and Rural Household Consumption 77
 III. Opinions and Suggestions on Promoting
Consumption and Expanding Domestic Demand 82
Chapter 3 Characteristic and Change of Current Employment 85
 Fan Lei
 I. Basic Features of Urban and Rural Employment Status 85
 II. Issues on Urban and Rural Employment 92
 III. Suggestions on Expanding and Promoting Employment 100
Chapter 4 Urban and Rural Residents’ Social Security 105
 Zhang Liping
 I. Remarkable Achievements in the Construction of the Social Security System 105
 II. Social Security System Needs More Rapid Consummation 109
 III. Suggestions on Consummating the Social Security System 115
Chapter 5 Urban and Rural Residents’ Social Support 119
 Diao Pengfei
 I. Status and Characteristics of Social Support 122
 II. Issues in the Social Support System 130
 III. Suggestions on Constructing the Social Support Network 134
Chapter 6 Evolution Process and the Trend of Income Differential 137
 Chen Guangjin
 I. Questions Researched and Proposed Hypotheses 137
 II. Data and Research Methods 147
 III. Pattern of Change in Urban and Rural Income Differential for 20 Years 157
 IV. Possible Change of Income Distribution Differential in the Future 164
 V. A Brief Conclusion 171
Chapter 7 Children of the Reform and Opening Up 175
 Tian Feng
 I. Concepts of “Youth”, “Post-1980s”, and “Generation” 175
 II. Data Sources and Research Methods 178
 III. “Post-1970s” and “Post-1980s” Youth’s Principal Characters 180
 IV. “Post-1970s” and “Post-1980s” Youth’s Sense of Justice and Democratic Consciousness 185
 V. Main Conclusions and Policy Suggestions 198
Conclusion 201
Bibliography 215
Index 225

Li Peilin is Professor and Director of the Institute of Sociology at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and President of the Chinese Sociological Association.