(iPoster) Liberals in Private, Nationalists in Public, Individualists at the Core

• In Event: Poster Session: Democracy and Autocracy I

Abstract

When asked to prepare presentations from instructor-selected topics on current events as part of an ideology and politics education course, which is designed to promote state-backed ideologies at a top Chinese university, two-thirds of the 600 students from 2022 to 2024 chose topics related to socioeconomic and intergenerational issues. Most of the remaining students focused on the global promotion of traditional Chinese culture, while only a few showed interest in international politics. Despite their strong identification with Chinese cultural heritage and patriotic enthusiasm for national strength, often rooted in personal experiences, few students expressed personal attachment to the collectivist or Marxist values that the Chinese Communist Party envisions for them as "Successors of Socialism." An analysis of the content of their presentations and feedback revealed critiques of the family and societal pressures surrounding marriage, work, and financial responsibilities. These critiques were often paired with calls for greater individual freedom, concerns about job security in the capital-dominated society, and demands for a stronger social welfare system.

Higher education in authoritarian regimes, particularly in China, functions as a double-edged sword. While states promote university education to foster economic progress and technological innovation, they simultaneously exercise tight control over the dissemination of democratic and liberal ideas, closely monitoring students' ideological inclinations. This study examines the ideological beliefs and political preferences of students in elite Chinese universities, focusing on their spontaneous responses to ideological cues and their views on contemporary social, political, and economic issues.

Leveraging the context of ideology and political education courses, the study first analyzes students' self-selected discussion content to identify their ideological inclinations and then employs surveys to assess their political opinions in a quasi-experimental setting. A multi-stage survey conducted over one semester, along with several repeated studies, highlights the complex and constructed nature of students' ideological profiles. Publicly, students often exhibit nationalist tendencies while privately aligning with liberal values. At their core, however, they display strong individualistic tendencies, with few embracing the grand collective ambitions expected of them by leadership. This research contributes to the scholarship on Chinese politics and public opinion among Chinese youth, particularly in an environment where authentic reactions are increasingly difficult to discern amid a more politically charged social climate.

Authors

• Jingding Wang, Syracuse University

• Mujin Li, Fudan University