Ethnic and Gender Stratification in an Economic Reform Era: The Case of Xinjiang, China

China's post-1978 economic reforms have stimulated new opportunities for educational and occupational achievement. Both Western experience and market transition theory suggest that the economic reforms may result in higher social mobility for traditionally disadvantaged groups as education expands and occupations are increasingly allocated according to skills and training. Using data from the 1982 and 1990 China censuses, the authors examine changes in the determinants of occupational achievement in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region of Northwest China, focusing on two related issues: first, whether education has become more important in determining occupational outcomes; and second, whether women have benefited more from this change than men, and minorities more than the Han (ethnic Chinese) majority.

Data used: 1982 and 1990 China censuses.