Housing Marketization Reform and Social Class LI, Yu Survey Research Laboratory, Institute of Sociology, Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, Shanghai, China; LU, Hanlong Institute of Sociology, Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, Shanghai, China

Housing Distribution in Market Transition The changing mechanisms during the market transition –Market transition debate market transition theory power persistence theory –House inequality Market societies –Commodity –Class phenomenon State redistributive societies –Welfare item –Majority people vs. elites –Inequality between work-units

Social class in Housing Marketization Reform Research Question: –To what extent has China’s urban housing been transformed into a system in which housing distribution is a function of social class differentiation? –Who got more? –Cadre vs. manger

Housing Marketization Reform Three phases –Pilot experiment : –Double track: –Full marketization: 1999 – (Li & Yi 2007)

Data Residential relocation and urban restructuring: A Multi-city study of urban China –Shanghai 2005/6 –Urban area –2000 cases –Housing history data

Variables and Measurement Measuring House inequality –Chance to get a house –House size –House quality Index1 –Toilet (have=1, share / no =0) –Kitchen (have=1, share / no =0) –Balcony (have=1, share / no =0) Index2 –Year of house built (after 1990=1) –Location: (central area=1) –House type (townhouse, apartment =1) –Value of the house

Variables and Measurement Social Class –Cadre: High & Middle rank officials in Gov. & Non-Profit Institution (Chu & above) –Mangers in SOE High-rank Mangers in State-Owned Enterprises –Mangers in market sector –Professional –Routine non-manual –Skilled manual worker –Non-skilled manual worker

Variables and Measurement Control variables –TVCs (Time Varying Covariates) Age & Age square Work-Unit type –Government agency & Non-profit institution –State/Collective enterprise (Reference group) –Market Sector Family size Marriage status (Married =1) Location of the house (central area=1) –Others (Not TVC) Education (year of schooling) Party Membership (CCP=1) Hu Kou (Migrants=1)

Preliminary Result

Cox regression on getting a house

OLS Regression of housing size (Ln)

OLS Regression of housing Quality index1

OLS Regression of Housing Quality index2 Social Class

OLS regression of Current House Value (Ln)

Conclusion housing inequality in full- Marketization phase –Clear pattern Hierarchy of social occupational class –inconsistent results on who get more Both get rewarded Cadre < manger ? –More careful analysis is needed

Q & A