Status Concern and Relative Deprivation in China: Measures, Empirical Evidence, and Economic and Policy Implications

Xi Chen

No 9519, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)

Abstract: Status concern and the feelings of relative deprivation affect individual behavior and well-being. Traditional norms and the alarming inequality in China have made relative deprivation more and more intense for the Chinese population. This paper reviews empirical literature on China that attempts to test the relative deprivation hypothesis. We review the origins and pathways of relative deprivation, compare its economic measures in the literature, and summarize their applications. Drawing from solid empirical evidence, we discuss important policy implications on redistribution, official regulations and grassroots sanctions, and relative poverty alleviation.

Keywords: well-being; relative deprivation; status concern; inequality; China (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: B41 I14 I18 I32 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 32 pages
Date: 2015-11
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-cna, nep-ltv and nep-tra
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

Published - published in: China: An International Journal, 2016, 14 (1), 151-170.

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