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Please note changes of time and venue of the seminar by Professor Shigeto Sonoda, University of Tokyo. He will take a day trip from Paris to the UK just for giving this seminar, and need to return to France afterwards. Appoligies for rescheduled the time and venue. Please do come and share this piece of invaluable comparative study. You can also find the info from LSE official website: http://www.lse.ac.uk/collections/LSEPublicLecturesAndEvents/events/2009/20090512t1510z001.htm Emergence of Homogeneous Social Class? : Commonalities and Differences of New Middle Class in Globalizing East Asia Time: 14:00-16:00 26 May (Tuesday) 2009 Venue: S211 (Press Ctrl + click to find the venue) <http://www2.lse.ac.uk/mapsAndDirections/findingYourWayAroundLSE.aspx> Speaker: Professor Shigeto Sonoda (University of Tokyo) Chair: Dr Gonçalo D. Santos (LSE) http://www.lse.ac.uk/collections/LSEPublicLecturesAndEvents/events/2009/20090512t1510z001.htm Abstract: Rapid economic growth and social change have produced a new middle class in big metropolis in East Asia. Some scholars claim that this emerging new middle class will be a foundation for a future building of East Asian Community because of their similar life-styles and value orientations. Due to the lack of comparative research on middle class, however, these claims are made without empirical backgrounds. In this paper, the author explores some hypotheses on the characteristics of the new middle class, such as younger generation hypothesis or feminization hypothesis, by using the data of Asia Barometer 2006 which covers seven East Asian societies, namely, Japan, South Korea, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Vietnam, and Singapore. Results of data analysis reveal that the new middle class is much better educated, more exposed to globalization, and more fluent speaker of English than working class in every part of East Asia. As to socio-political orientations, however, the new middle classes do not show any clear and distinctive characteristics in every society. They are apt to be more supportive of gender-equality policy and environmental protection and pro-democratic than the working classes, but there is no clear distinction between them in some societies like Singapore. Interestingly, cluster analysis tells us that there are two types of new middle classes in East Asia: one can be called “English-speaking type” and the other can be called “Confucian type”. The latter type is huge in volume, and it is much educated but less exposed to globalization probably due to its lacking in fluency of English. “Confucian type” middle class is secularized and particularistic than “English-speaking type” in nature. Finally, the author explores complex relations between globalization and the formation of new middle classes in East Asia. Speaker’s Biography: Shigeto Sonoda is a renowned Professor of Sociology at the Institute of Oriental Culture and Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Information Studies, University of Tokyo. His expertise is in the areas of comparative sociology, contemporary China Studies, globalization of cultures in Asia, localization of Japanese companies in Asia. His most recent book - entitled “Social Inequality in Contemporary China” (Chuo Koron, 2008) - won the Special Prize of 20th Asia-Pacific Award. ———————————————————————— 常向群博士 伦敦经济学院研究员 中国比较网负责人；《中国比较研究》责任主编 电话: +44(0)20 8099 4815; 传真: +44(0)20 3051 1503 电邮: [log in to unmask]; 网址：www.lse.ac.uk/ccpn <http://www.lse.ac.uk/collections/CCPP/> Dr Xiangqun Chang, Research Fellow London School of Economics and Political Science Coordinator, China in Comparative Perspective Network (CCPN) Managing Editor, Journal of China in Comparative Perspective Tel: +44(0)20 8099 4815; fax: +44(0)20 3051 1503 Email: [log in to unmask]; Website: www.lse.ac.uk/ccpn <http://www.lse.ac.uk/collections/CCPP/> Please access the attached hyperlink for an important electronic communications disclaimer: http://www.lse.ac.uk/collections/secretariat/legal/disclaimer.htm