Study title

This data set consists of transcripts from 10 focus group discussions on themes related to social equality in China. The focus group discussions were conducted by Horizon Research Consultancy using a discussion guide written by the Investigators. They were held in nine cities chosen to represent east, west and south China, including 4 provincial capitals: Beijing, Changsha, Guangzhou, and Shanghai, and 5 prefecture level cities: Baoding, Fuzhou, Luoyang, Mianyang, and Suzhou. The respondents included a mix of ages, genders, blue and white collar workers, and included at least one migrant (from another province) in each focus group. Separate focus group discussions were held for respondents with mainly urban hukou (residence registration) and for respondents with mainly rural hukou. There were two discussions in Guangzhou, one for each residence registration category. The focus groups in Baoding and Suzhou were held only for respondents age 18-29. Further details of recruitment and stratification are given in the documentation. The focus group discussions dealt with household and national economic change, perceptions of social fairness, and welfare values. Specifically, respondents were asked about the state of the national and local economies, their household economy, how they define rich and poor people and how they position themselves in relation to these categories. They were asked about whether they perceived differences in wealth between individuals, regions and between urban and rural areas as fair, and whether such differences are increasing or decreasing. Finally they were asked about whether the rich should take more responsibility for the welfare of the poor, about their own personal responsibility and that of the state and businesses. Prior to taking part in the focus group discussions, participants completed a screening questionnaire, which also served to collect basic information, including gender, age, marital status, ethnicity, level of...