Chapter 22: Social Class, Social Capital, and Altruistic Behaviors in Metropolitan China

This study explores class differences in charitable giving and volunteering in three megacities in China. It investigates whether the association between social class and these altruistic behaviors varies within the middle class when we differentiate the core middle class from the semi-core middle class and the marginal middle class. The results show class disparity in both charitable giving and volunteering and indicate differences within the middle class. There is evidence in support of the mediation effect of civic engagement on the association between social class and pro-social behaviors, which is particularly evident among the core middle class. Our empirical evidence also points to the influence of the quality of social networks on pro-social behaviors. The study contributes new empirical evidence to the existing literature on altruistic behaviors in China and improves our understanding of the role of social capital in this regard of social life.