Remarkable economic growth, but so what? The impacts of modernization on Chinese citizens’ political satisfaction

Journal of Asian and African Studies

2016

Self Cite

Chinese traditional culture is viewed to sustain political trust in the authoritarian regime. Given that Chinese cultural traditions are complex and multi-dimensional, it is ineffective to deal with this notion by a single index. This study divides Chinese traditional values into a non-political dimension (traditional family and social values) and a political dimension (traditional political values). Then, I empirically test how different dimensions of Chinese cultural traditions shape the ordinary people’s orientations toward their political institutions and government officials. The results show that the impact of traditional values on political trust varies by its different dimensions. Traditional political values and social values are positively correlated with both institutional trust and trust in government officials. Traditional family values are positively correlated with trust in government officials but do not have an effect on institutional trust. Liberal democratic values negatively correlate with trust in government officials, but this effect on institutional trust is not significant.

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Traditional Values and Political Trust in China

Journal of Asian and African Studies

2016

Self Cite

“…Previous research views popular support for democracy as an indicator of democratic rootedness (Bratton and Mattes 2001; Diamond 1999; Schedler 2001). However, overt support for democracy fails to predict the establishment of effective democracy, because the masses also show a high level of democratic support even in non-democracies where overt support for democracy is no more than lip service (Chu and Huang 2010; Hadenius and Teorell 2005; Inglehart and Welzel 2003; Zhai 2016). The findings suggest that Chinese democratization faces potential challenges, as those who overtly express attachment to democracy do not possess liberal democratic values.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Do Confucian Values Deter Chinese Citizens’ Support for Democracy?

2016

Politics and Religion

Self Cite

The cultural prerequisites of democracy have been receiving considerable attention over the past decades. Confucian values are regarded as incompatible with liberal democracy and are considered to impede democratization. This article explores the effect of Confucian values on the commitment of ordinary Chinese people to democracy. Support for democracy is divided into attachment to democracy and adherence to liberal democratic values. Attachment to democracy indicates explicit support for democracy, while adherence to liberal democratic values reflects implicit support for democracy. This study examines the impacts of Confucian values on each of these areas. The results show that there was no evidence that Confucian values inhibit the Chinese public's support for democracy in a democratic transition, but they are negatively connected to liberal democratic values, which are fundamental to the resilience and consolidation of a fledgling democracy. However, liberal democratic values are prone to increase with the generational shift.

“…One explanation is that different political contexts generated variations between Japan and China, even though alternative explanations of the empirical results are debatable. The political system shapes socialization and intervenes to influence the cultural tradition (Zhai, 2016b). The empirical results show that the pursuit of social harmony and prioritization of family and collective interests hardly had a positive effect on political deference in Japan, while they were significantly associated with political deference in China.…”

Section: Conclusion and Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This political context affects socialization (Jennings, 2007; Sears and Levy, 2003). Major transformations in each society reshaped and changed the value system (Flanagan and Lee, 2000; Shi, 2008; Zhai, 2016b). There might be differences between Japan and China in the effect traditional values have on political deference levels in their populations.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Values of deference to authority in Japan and China

International Journal of Comparative Sociology

2017

Self Cite

Values of deference to authority have long been prevalent in Japan and China. These two societies feature hierarchical social structures, harmonious orientations, and collectivism, which are regarded as cultural characteristics of East Asia. Through distinguishing traditional values in the political sphere from those in the non-political sphere, this article examines the relationship between traditional values and political deference levels in Japan and China. The empirical results show that conformity in family and school, preference for political harmony, and prioritization of national interests positively correlated with political deference in the two countries. However, prioritizing family and collective interests significantly correlated with political deference in China, while no significant effect was observed in Japan. Neither did preference for harmony in community and in the workplace have a positive effect on political deference in Japan.