Social equity for youth
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A typical ideology of this energetic group, labeled "angry youth consciousness" is taking shape gradually. Contrary to the mainstream social values, this ideology reflects a shared outlook among the underdogs.
Once this consciousness takes root, it will cause more social unrest at the grass-roots level. We can see this budding mentality at Internet forums where views opposing mainstream values are expressed with regard to political proposals or controversial social issues. These defiant opinions reflect the social underdogs' dissatisfaction and protest, and if not checked, will aggravate hatred against the bureaucracy.
Although the older unemployed migrant workers are also in a weak position in the social strata, survival is their most pressing problem, not political participation. Even if they cause social unrest, they usually blame it on their employers directly, rather than the local governments.
But the expectations of poor educated youth are different from common migrant workers. Most of the youngsters will probably think of corruption by officials first when they accuse the unfair social system for their personal troubles.
A simple comparison between their better-off classmates and themselves may easily direct their dissatisfaction to the system. Gradually, they will become apathetic to life and resent society, and become increasingly rebellious.
The problem of poor educated youth is closely related to the exclusive nature of our institutions formed after the reform and opening up.
The biggest characteristic of the exclusiveness is that huge obstacles exist which prevents members at the bottom rungs of society from climbing up the social ladder.
Children of the rich and powerful always have better opportunities and corner more social resources. The abuses of public power and financial resources are eating into the very foundation of social fairness and justice.
The monopoly of power and wealth by the elite few intensifies the "angry youth's" strong resistance to official homilies on social values. Breaking the monopoly of public power to provide upward flow on an equal footing is urgently needed now.
Decision-makers should get a keen glimpse of the underdogs' lives and try to understand their concerns and behavior. Political research should not only focus on elite intellectuals, but also reach the people at the grassroots to understand the dynamics of China's domestic governance system.
And, developing basic social identification among the youth is crucial to promoting their emotional attachment to society. Through building a fair social security system, governments at various levels should provide citizens with equal public services regardless of their backgrounds.
The author is director of Social Problem Research Center, Rural Development Institute of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
