Chinese Middle Class And Its Impact On The Society Essay Example

Since the 1970s, when the Chinese government decided to move towards a free economy, the middle class in the country began to rise. This was because private business owners and other people were able to set up new businesses leading to more demand for labor and more competition in the market. As the income of the citizens rose, many of them were able to improve their standard of living and transitioned from the lower class to the middle class. This paper explores the rise of the middle class in China and the impact it has on the society. The research starts with defining the middle class, and then explains the importance of the middle class to a economy. The paper then explains the reasons behind the rise of the middle class in China and discusses the positive and negative effect it has on the economy.
The rise of middle class in China has both positive and negative effects on the society. The positive effect on the society is that more and more people are getting educated and skilled so that they can secure better jobs. Income levels along with consumption of goods have been increasing. Tourism is also increasing among the Chinese middle class. Lastly, the quality of goods and services has also increased, as there is a lot more competition between the public and private sector. However, the negative effect of this phenomenon is that there has been an increase in inflation as the demand for consumer items increases; there has been a significant rise in income inequality, especially between the urban and rural cities. Furthermore, environmental pollution has also increased in urban cities as many middle class citizens buy cars.
The paper also explains that there has been a change in attitudes and preference of the Chinese middle class. For instance, more and more Chinese are giving priority to their health instead of their wealth or profession. Furthermore, many also argue that more and more Chinese are becoming ‘westernized’, as the middle class prefers to listen to American songs, and watch Hollywood movies.