FSS-DSOC Seminar: “Marketization and Moral Evaluations: Conjoint-Experimental Evidence from China”, by Prof. Anning HU

To elucidate the intricate of marketization-morality interactions in China, this study employs a conjoint experiment to construct hypothetical profiles encompassing a randomized mix of virtues and vices, spanning a diverse spectrum of moral values. This method allows for an examination of the nuanced shifts in individuals’ moral evaluations across regions characterized by varying degrees of marketization. The analytical results based on the individual fixed-effects models suggest that: (1) People’s endorsement of a specific virtue becomes increasingly entwined with the disapproval of the corresponding vice of the same moral value, particularly with the reinforcement of marketization. (2) Moralities aligned with the market ethos, such as integrity, justice, and public spirit, exhibit an upward trajectory. (3) Conversely, virtues independent from or not inherently aligned with market values—such as frugality, filial piety, a sense of shame, and bravery—demonstrate a decline in prevalence as marketization intensifies. (4) Beyond these linear trends, the principle of rule follows a U-shaped variational pattern, while humility demonstrates an inverted U-shaped trend. (5) Diligence, gentleness, and intelligence exhibit stability irrespective of the level of marketization in the environment. These findings shed light on the interplay between market forces and citizens’ attitudes toward moral values in China.

Professor Hu Anning is Professor of Sociology at Fudan University. He received his PhD in Sociology and MS in Statistics from Purdue University. Professor Hu’s research interests include social inequality, education, religion, trust, culture, and social research methods. He has published over 70 academic articles and three monographs, with research appearing in major sociological outlets, such as British Journal of Sociology, Social Science Research, Journal of Marriage and Family, Poetic, Research in Social Stratification and Mobility, Demographic Research, Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, Sociological Quarterly, Journal of Mathematical Sociology, and The China Quarterly, to name a few.