The influence of religious beliefs on the expectations of individual social class mobility
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
ISSN: 2040-7149
Article publication date: 25 April 2023
Issue publication date: 25 October 2023
Abstract
Purpose
This paper examines the in-depth relationship between religious beliefs and individual social class mobility expectations in China.
Design/methodology/approach
The data used in this article are mainly from the China Comprehensive Social Survey in 2010 (CGSS2010). Compared with other years' CGSS data, CGSS2010 includes a module on religious topics, and the questionnaire information related to religion is more comprehensive and suitable for in-depth analysis.
Findings
The results show that religious beliefs have a significant positive impact on personal social class mobility expectations. Based on the principle of diminishing marginal returns on capital, the positive impact of religious belief on the expectation of individual social class mobility is more significant in groups with nonagricultural household registration, higher education level, older age and better family background conditions. However, with the further improvement of family background conditions, this positive impact begins to weaken. In addition, possible channels of action include prejudice effects, psychological effects, individual capital effects and social capital effects. The results of other effects are positive except for the prejudice effect. Overall, religious beliefs, as one of the important components of contemporary Chinese culture, have a positive significance for the “Chinese Dream”.
Originality/value
There is also little literature globally that provides an in-depth analysis of the relationship between religion and economic development. Studies have led to an understanding of the relationship between religious beliefs and individual social class mobility expectations. But it is unclear whether theories developed based on Western spiritual experience will be applicable to China or not. The authors have tested for China.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
Data availability statement: Not applicable.
Ethics statement: No conflict of ethics.
Author contributions: All authors have equally contributed to the study.
Conflicts of interest: The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest.
Citation
Chen, X. and Bhuiyan, M.A. (2023), "The influence of religious beliefs on the expectations of individual social class mobility", Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, Vol. 42 No. 8, pp. 1069-1086. https://doi.org/10.1108/EDI-05-2022-0122
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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