Chinese Social Survey Research Articles

Voluntary Participation Mediates the Relationship Between Multi-Membership in Online Communities and Life Satisfaction Among Chinese Populations: A Gendered Perspective

Whether and how multi-membership in online communities might relate to life satisfaction within the Chinese population remain unclear. This study adopts a gendered perspective to explore the mediating role of voluntary participation in the relationship mentioned above based on a cross-sectional analysis of 2558 respondents from the 2019 Chinese Social Survey (CSS). Multivariable regressions and a mediation analysis were adopted for analyses. The findings reveal that a higher level of multi-membership in online communities is associated with greater life satisfaction for both males (B = 0.31, SE = 0.11) and females (B = 0.10, SE = 0.02). Specifically, the positive relationship is partially mediated (6.6%) by increased voluntary participation among females, where involvement in multiple types of online communities correlates with a heightened likelihood of engaging in voluntary activities (B = 0.006, Z = 3.910), which in turn contributes to higher levels of life satisfaction (B = 0.114, Z = 2.760). However, voluntary participation does not exhibit a significant mediating role in the relationship between multi-membership and life satisfaction among males. These findings provide valuable insights into the intricate ways in which online interactions can affect voluntary participation and life satisfaction, underscoring the importance of considering gender differences in these dynamics.

Unveiling the causal effects of China’s minimum living standard guarantee on household transportation expenditures: A causal forest analysis

We investigate the causal effects of China’s Minimum Living Standard Guarantee (MLSG, also called Dibao) subsidy on household transportation expenditures. Utilizing data from the Chinese Social Survey, we employ a combination of the propensity score matching (PSM), causal forest (CF) and marginal treatment effect model (MTE) methodologies to rigorously estimate the subsidy’s effects. The PSM allows us to mitigate selection bias by matching MLSG recipients with comparable non-recipients. While the causal forest captures the heterogeneity of treatment effects across various household profiles. The result of MTE indicate that observable and essential heterogeneity are present to influence the effect of their subsidies, which present the consistent with PSM and CF. The causal mediation analysis indicates the mediating mechanism that MLSG impacts on household transportation expenditures, while also revealing significant variations among different regions. The study not only refines our understanding of the MLSG’s effects on household spending but also offers novel insights into applicational advancements by incorporating machine-learning techniques for policy evaluation. These results have important implications for policy formulation and refinement, particularly in the urban-rural differences.

Influence of Internet Use on Happiness in China: Mediating Effects of Environmental Quality Perception and Moderating Role of Sense of Environmental Security.

This study aims to comprehensively examine the effects of different types of Internet use and happiness while considering the mediating role of environmental quality perception and the moderating role of a sense of environmental security. Drawing on the uses and gratifications theory, negativity bias, and social cognitive theory, the study investigates the mediating role of environmental quality perception and the moderating role of environmental security in the above relationship. Using data from 3162 respondents in the 2021 Chinese Social Survey (CSS) and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), the study finds that Internet use for information and educational purposes significantly enhances happiness, with environmental quality perception acting as a mediator. Moreover, a moderating effect of environmental security was observed in the relationship between Internet use for educational purposes and national environmental quality perception. Specifically, the interaction between study-related Internet use and the sense of environmental security significantly and positively predicted national environmental quality perception. These findings highlight the complex interaction between Internet use, environmental factors, and happiness, offering insights into policy interventions aimed at improving Internet access and environmental awareness to enhance public mental health outcomes in China.

How Does Internet Use Affect Citizen Political Participation? The Mediating Role of Social Networks

This study investigates the complex relationship between internet use and citizen political participation, emphasizing the mediating role of social networks. Using cross-sectional data from the 2021 Chinese Social Survey (CSS), we classify political participation into government-led and citizen-led activities and internet use into informational, entertainment-oriented, and service-oriented types. Overall, our findings reveal a positive correlation between internet use and both citizen-led participation and government-led participation (excluding voting), with a stronger association observed in the former. From a categorical perspective, informational and service-oriented internet use significantly influences all types of political participation, while entertainment-oriented use shows no significant correlation. Additionally, social networks mediate the relationship between internet use and political participation. Service-oriented internet use is more dependent on social networks to connect with political participation compared to information-oriented internet use. This study contributes to the ongoing debate on the impact of digital media on civic engagement by providing nuanced insights into how specific internet activities and social networks shape political participation in China.

Factors influencing villagers’ willingness to participate in grassroots governance: evidence from the Chinese social survey

Village self-governance is becoming a crucial measure in advancing social governance innovation in China. It plays an irreplaceable role in promoting sustainable rural governance, yet some villagers’ willingness and capacity to participate in grassroots governance need cultivation and enhancement. To explore the factors influencing villagers’ willingness to participate in grassroots governance and the conditions under which these factors operate, this study tests its hypotheses using data from the 2019 Chinese Social Survey, which includes 7031 responses. The findings reveal that the positive relationship between political efficacy and villagers’ willingness to participate in grassroots governance is moderated by satisfaction with government performance. Additionally, the interaction effect between political efficacy and satisfaction with government performance on villagers’ willingness to participate in grassroots governance is further moderated by the higher-order effect of perceived social justice. This indicates that among villagers with a high sense of social justice, the interaction effect between political efficacy and satisfaction with government performance more strongly predicts their willingness to participate in grassroots governance.

Perceived social fairness and trust in government serially mediate the effect of governance quality on subjective well-being

Governance quality refers to how well the processes and institutions of public governance function and is widely recognized as having an important influence on human well-being. We developed and tested a theoretical model that elucidates the relationship between governance quality and the subjective well-being of residents in China by revealing the serial mediation effects of perceived social fairness and trust in government. Using data from the nationally representative Chinese Social Survey conducted in 2021 (n = 5019), we performed structural equation modeling to empirically examine our hypotheses. The results indicated that governance quality exerted a significant positive fully indirect impact on subjective well-being through perceived social fairness, trust in government, and their serial mediation effects. This study contributes to the literature by providing valuable insights into the determinants of subjective well-being and highlighting the serial mediating roles of perceived social fairness and trust in government in the relationship between governance quality and subjective well-being. The findings also provide practical insights for policymakers, as they indicate that promoting perceived social fairness and fostering trust in government are essential to translate governance quality into subjective well-being.

How to enhance villagers’ willingness to participate in grassroots governance through political efficacy?

This paper is grounded in social cognitive theory and constructs a research framework of ‘individual cognition- environment-behavioral willingness’ to investigate the influence of political efficacy on villagers’ willingness to participate in grassroots governance, as well as whether satisfaction with the government and social justice play a chain-mediating role between them. Utilizing empirical data from the 2019 Chinese Social Survey (CSS), comprising 7,031 responses, this study rigorously tests the hypotheses. The findings demonstrate that political efficacy significantly and positively predicts villagers’ willingness to engage in grassroots governance. Furthermore, satisfaction with the government and social justice are identified as playing a chain-mediating role in this relationship. These results not only deepen our understanding of villagers’ attitudes toward political participation but also contribute to the democratic process in China.

The Impact of CPC Membership on Subjective Well-Being: The Mediating Role of Volunteer Service Participation

This study explores the impact of CPC party membership on subjective well-being, using data from the 2021 "Chinese Social Survey". The analysis was conducted using an OLS linear regression model and the Bootstrap method. The results indicate that party membership significantly enhances an individual's subjective well-being, primarily through increased sense of identity and collective belonging. Participation in volunteer service acts as a mediator between party membership and subjective well-being, with party members gaining a sense of achievement and social support through volunteer activities, which further boosts their well-being. The study also finds that factors such as social support, economic status, and life satisfaction significantly influence subjective well-being.

A nationwide study of the impact of social quality factors on life satisfaction among older adults in rural China

In rural China, the aging population faces unique challenges that affect their life satisfaction. These challenges are compounded by disparities in access to resources compared to urban areas, making it crucial to address these issues to ensure a dignified and fulfilling later life. Understanding and improving life satisfaction for this demographic is essential, not only for the well-being of the elderly but also for the overall social stability and economic sustainability of these communities. Using a rural sample from the Chinese Social Survey (CSS), this study investigates the interplay between social quality factors and life satisfaction among older adults in rural China. It focuses on the roles of socioeconomic security, social cohesion, social inclusion, and social empowerment in shaping the well-being of this demographic. It was found that the four conditional factors of social quality—socioeconomic security, social cohesion, social inclusion, and social empowerment—have different influences on life satisfaction among older adults in rural areas. The statistical model shows that the influence of absolute family income on social and economic security does not have statistical significance. In contrast, housing, pension insurance participation, and public safety perception positively affect life satisfaction among older adults in rural areas. Among the social cohesion factors, higher social morality, legal system evaluation, social identity, grassroots government, and interpersonal trust contribute to the life satisfaction of older adults in rural areas. Regarding social inclusion factors, good social tolerance, social equity, and perception of government public services can significantly improve life satisfaction among older adults in rural areas. For social empowerment factors, social participation helps expand the social support network of older adults in rural areas, enhancing their life satisfaction. Paths to improving the quality of rural society should be explored to improve relative poverty in rural areas. They should continue to be pursued to strengthen the old-age security system for older adults in rural areas. Further, the National Medium- and Long-Term Plan for Actively Responding to Population Aging should be the base for forming an elderly-friendly society. A good atmosphere promotes the participation of people, families, and society; supports social cohesion; enhances inclusion; and promotes social participation, improving life satisfaction.

Local Governance Quality and Trust in Government: The Serial Mediation Effect of Perceived Social Fairness and Subjective Well-being

This study aims to investigate the relationship between citizens' trust in government (TiG) and the local governance quality (LGQ), considering the influence of perceived social fairness (PSF) and residents' subjective well-being (SWB) as intermediate factors. The study utilized data from the 2021 Chinese Social Survey (CSS) and employed structural equation modelling (SEM) for analysis. The results indicate that LGQ positively impacts TiG through PSF and SWB mediating factors. Specifically, as LGQ improves in China, residents experience increased social fairness, enhancing SWB and subsequently strengthening their TiG. This research provides a comprehensive understanding of the TiG-LGQ relationship, offering practical insights for improving national leadership and governance by promoting social fairness, justice, and overall well-being.

How Does the Internet Impact the Public’s Perception of Information Security Risk?

Clarifying the relationship between internet use and public information security risk perception helps us gain a better understanding of the factors influencing public risk perception. However, the relationship is still under-explored. This paper empirically examines the relationship between internet use and information security risk perception based on data from the 2021 Chinese Social Survey. It was found that whether to use the internet and the frequency of use are both significantly positively correlated with the perception of information security risk. On this basis, the mechanism by which internet use affects public information security risk perceptions is verified from the perspective of interpersonal trust. The mechanism analysis found that interpersonal trust exerts an indirect effect between internet use and perceived information security risk. The findings of this study provide new insights for our further understanding of how internet use affects residents’ perceptions of security risk.

The role of rural internet adoption in shaping consumption breadth and inequality: evidence from the Chinese Social Survey

ABSTRACT This study delves into the impact of Internet adoption on consumption breadth and inequality, utilizing micro-survey data from 24,291 rural households in China gathered between 2013 and 2021. It quantifies Internet adoption intensity, employs specialized indices to gauge consumption breadth and inequality, and meticulously assesses the micro-level effects of Internet usage on consumption breadth and inequality. The results reveal that Internet adoption among farmers significantly boosts familial consumption breadth while reducing consumption inequality. These findings remain robust after rigorous testing. Internet adoption’s impact on inclusive growth varies and is influenced by policy contexts, time frames, and income groups. Tailored, context-specific strategies are imperative for effectively addressing these disparities. Lastly, increased Internet adoption among farmers stimulates non-agricultural employment, resulting in more non-agricultural labour hours, a more significant non-agricultural labour force, and higher non-agricultural income shares. These changes positively affect the breadth of familial consumption and negatively affect consumption inequality. This study underscores the pivotal role of the Internet in propelling inclusive growth and offers robust evidence to support harnessing its potential for bolstering consumption breadth and reducing inequality within the framework of the digital economy.

Values in Action: Unveiling the Impact of Self-Transcendence and Self-Enhancement on Domestic Consumption Choices.

Against the backdrop of a global emphasis on supporting local businesses and fostering domestic consumption, this study aims to shed light on the influence of personal values on the intentions behind domestic-product consumption. Drawing from the Schwartz value theory, we explore how values of self-transcendence, which embody benevolence and universalism, versus self-enhancement, characterized by a focus on power and achievement, influence consumer behavior. Utilizing data from the Chinese Social Survey (CSS2021) and a survey of 316 participants, structural equation modeling and Dematel analysis are employed to reveal causal relationships between values and consumption intentions. We reveal a dichotomous impact of these value orientations. Self-transcendence values are found to positively affect domestic consumption intentions by enhancing awareness of consequence and ascription of responsibility, thereby strengthening personal norms. In contrast, self-enhancement values tend to impede these intentions. By integrating the Norm-Activation Model (NAM), this study comprehensively uncovers the unique mechanism through which values activate personal norms and subsequently encourage the consumption of domestic products. It enriches the body of research related to values and domestic consumption and offers pertinent recommendations for promoting local enterprises' products.

Public information disclosure practices and civic participation: The roles of social justice perceptions and internet use

This study examined the relationship between public information disclosure practices and civic participation and the roles of social justice perceptions and internet use in that relationship. Our data comes from the 2019 Chinese Social Survey (CSS, 2019), a large nationwide household survey across 31 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities). To ensure data relevance to our main variables, we conducted screening, resulting in the retention of data from 9 621 participants (female = 56 73%; mean age = 46 62 years, SD = 14 22 years). The results indicated that public information disclosure practices were associated with higher levels of civic participation. Specifically, public information disclosure practices were positively associated with institutional civic participation and negatively associated with non-institutional civic participation. Moreover, citizens' perception of social justice indirectly mediated civic participation. Internet use moderated the relationship between public information disclosure practices and the perception of social justice. These findings underscore the importance of types of public information disclosures in routine civil society governance. By implication, public information disclosures are tools for empowered civic participation with social justice

The mediating role of trust in government in intergenerational transmission of fertility intentions.

China's one-child policy was in effect from 1982 to 2015. However, the literature examining the association between people's trust in local government and intergenerational transmission of fertility intentions is scarce. To fill this gap, we investigated the impact of individuals' sibship size on their ideal number of children, the mediating effect of their trust in local government on the issue of fertility between two successive generations, and the moderating effect of education level on sibship size related to trust in local governments. Based on the 2019 Chinese Social Survey data, 2,340 respondents aged 18-35 participated in the analysis. The results showed that (i) individuals' number of siblings significantly positively predicted their ideal number of children; (ii) individuals' number of siblings significantly negatively predicted their trust in the local government, which in turn significantly negatively influenced fertility intentions; (iii) the mediating mechanism was significant in residents with higher levels of education, but not in people with lower degrees of education. Fertility-boosting incentives can prioritize couples who are the only child in their family. It is necessary for local governments to improve their credibility and strengthen their pregnancy-related communication with groups with higher levels of education.

The impact of education type on employability and wages in China

The objective of this paper is to investigate the impact of China’s recent education policy on the labor market performance (i.e., employability and wages) of both general and vocational education graduates. The policy requires 50% of junior high school graduates to pursue secondary vocational education. The policy received public complaints because, in many parts of the world, students are free to decide on their future education. This paper measures the impacts of education type on labor market performance for both general and vocational education graduates, seeking to uncover the differing perspectives between Chinese authorities and the public. The study utilizes secondary survey data from the Chinese Social Survey 2021 (CSS2021) and employs the Mincer earnings function to analyze several main factors, such as years of education (yoe), years of work (yow), education type (et), interaction between edt and yoe and yow, and gender. The results highlight the significant role of education in enhancing both employability and wages—indicating that increased years of education positively correlate with improved employment prospects and higher wages. Regarding the relationship between wages and gender across both education types, males generally receive higher wages, while the dynamics in the relationship between employment and gender differ, with females exhibiting a greater likelihood of employment. The impact of education type on employability is slightly complicated. Employers do not prefer employing general education graduates. However, when we combined education type with years of experience, the findings revealed a preference among employers for hiring general education graduates with extensive work experience. This study has policy implications for the Chinese government in fostering the balanced development of vocational and general education, benefiting both individuals and society.

Sociodemographic factors and health digital divide among urban residents: Evidence from a population-based survey in China.

The deep integration of digital technology and healthcare services has propelled the healthcare system into the era of digital health. However, vulnerable populations in the field of information technology, they face challenges in benefiting from the digital dividends brought by digital health, leading to the emerging phenomenon of the "health digital divide." This study utilized the sample of 3547 urban from the 2021 Chinese Social Survey data for analysis. Models were constructed with digital access divide, digital usage divide, and digital outcome divide for urban residents, and structural equation modeling was implemented for analysis. The impact β coefficients (95% CI) of urban residents' digital access on the frequency of digital use, internet healthcare utilization, and patient experience were (β = 0.737, P < 0.001), (β = 0.047, P < 0.05), and (β = 0.079, P < 0.001), respectively. Urban elderly groups were at a disadvantage in digital access and usage (β = -0.007, β = -0.024, and β = -0.004), as well as those with lower educational levels (β = 0.109, β = 0.162, and β = 0.045). However, these two factors did not have a significant direct impact on the patient experience in urban areas. The health digital divide of urban residents exhibits a cascading effect, primarily manifested in the digital access and usage divide. To bridge health digital divide among urban residents, efforts must be made to improve digital access and usage among the elderly and those with lower educational levels.

Agricultural subsidies on common prosperity: Evidence from the Chinese social survey

Based on the data from the Chinese Social Survey (CSS) of 13,359 interviewed farm households, the paper systematically evaluates the impact of agricultural subsidies on the farmers' common prosperity by measuring the development of common prosperity from the aspects of “comprehensive” prosperity and “universal” affluence. The research draws the following conclusions: (1) Agricultural subsidies significantly raises the per capita income level of rural households, reduces income inequality between households, contributes to “comprehensive” prosperity and “universal” affluence, and realizes the goal of common prosperity. Also, this paper uses 2SLS, LIML, GMM, replacement and combination of variables, simultaneous quantile regression, and exclusion of outliers to test the robustness of the baseline regression results, which remains robust after a series of tests. (2) The effect of agricultural subsidies on the farmers' common prosperity will show obvious heterogeneity phenomenon due to the differences in the natural conditions, economic development level, policy environment and agricultural business scale of the region, which need to be treated differently. (3) The transfer of agricultural land plays a mediating role. Agricultural subsidies will encourage farmers to enhance the transfer of agricultural land, thereby raising incomes and reducing income inequality, which will help farmers to realize common prosperity. Part-time farming plays a moderating role. The lower the degree of part-time farming, the stronger the effect of agricultural subsidies in promoting the common prosperity of farmers. Our study gives innovative experience and ideas for improving the agricultural subsidy policy system, optimizing the structure of agricultural subsidies, and then using agricultural subsidies to more comprehensively promote common prosperity in rural areas.

How does perceptions of social justice affect farmers' political participation?-Evidence from China.

Ronald Inglehart's postmaterialist theory suggests that with the advancement of industrialization and economic prosperity, there will be a significant transformation in people's societal values. Concurrently, their forms of political participation shift from conventional activities to unconventional politic activities. However, most research on this topic has been predominantly focused on Western countries. In fact, rural farmers in China serve as an excellent experimental group for testing this theory since they have experienced rapid economic growth while still being deeply influenced by traditional authoritarianism culture.Using a sample of 6,689 respondents from the 2019 Chinese Social Survey (CSS) and employing a Binary Logistic Regression Model, we discovered that Chinese farmers' perception of overall societal justice exhibits a U-shaped relationship with various forms of political participation. Specifically, it shows a significant negative correlation with non-institutional political participation, such as contact-officer participation, but a significant positive correlation with institutional political participation types like community participation and election participation.Our further research indicates that the three subtypes of perception of societal justice are significantly negatively correlated only with non-institutional political participation, while their statistical relationship with institutional political participation is not significant. We believe that the underlying reason for this phenomenon lies in the unique interpretation of societal justice within Chinese traditional culture. Additionally, through a comparative analysis of models on political participation behavior and willingness, we found that despite significant inequalities and disparities in institutional structures and levels of economic development between rural and urban areas in China, rational considerations of the risks and costs associated with defying the government deter Chinese farmers from engaging in non-institutional politic activities unless their emotional resentment towards unjust practices reaches a certain threshold.

Does food safety perception matter to farmers’ happiness？ evidence from China

Although the determinants of individuals' happiness have been widely examined in the literature, little is known regarding whether and how food safety perception affects farmers' happiness. To fill this research gap, this paper examines the impact of food safety perception on happiness among Chinese farmers, utilizing open-access data collected through the Chinese Social Survey project in 2013, 2017 and 2021. This study focuses on Chinese farmers as the research subject, attempting to analyze the “happiness code” from the perspective of food safety, which supplements the literature on happiness and provides reference for protecting the rights of low-income groups and promoting food safety strategies in developing countries. To address sample selection bias, this paper employs the recursive bivariate ordered probit (RBOP) model and conditional mixed process (CMP) method. The results reveal that the perception of food safety exerts a positive and statistically significant impact on farmers' happiness in China. In addition, food safety perception is more important among middle-aged and elderly farmers and among those with higher education. Thus, the policy makers should continue to make up for the shortcomings of rural food safety work and extend regulatory measures to rural areas. They also need to take efforts to strengthen food safety promotion, enhance farmers' safety awareness, and safeguard farmers’ “safety on the tongue”.