Reability of Public Opinion Polls in China

Occupation: Senior Research Fellow; Associate Prof. at the Department of Sociology
Affiliation:
Institute of Sociology of FCTAS RAS
RUDN University
Address: Russian Federation, Moscow

Journal name

Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya

Edition

Issue 3

Pages

26-31

Abstract

The current international situation has increased the importance of analyzing public opinion in the PRC. But the specificity of Chinese society allows critics of the PRC to put forward arguments (lack of a “democratic public”, self-censorship of respondents, suspicions regarding political censorship, non-representative samples) against such an enterprise. This article systematically examines and refutes these arguments. The undertaken analysis shows that they are either easily overcome, since they are based on fragmentary data, or, with no less reason, should be addressed to all studies of public opinion in the world. This makes it possible to rely on polling data in the PRC and analyze public opinion trends with their help, although such an analysis should take into account the likelihood of self-censorship of respondents, common for any society, and the fact that most samples in China represent, first of all, the most active urban population.

Keywords

public opinion, PRC, self-censorship, reliability of surveys, samples’ representativity

Acknowledgment

Co-author of this article Li Qin was supported by Fundamental Research Funds for Chinese Central Universities (Project No. 2242020S20050 and Project No. 2242020R10030) and Jiangsu Province Project «Double Creative PhD» (JSSCBS202030305).

Received

05.04.2023

Publication date

07.04.2023

Number of characters

14011

Cite

GOST	Qin L., Babich N. Reability of Public Opinion Polls in China // Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya – 2023. – Issue 3 C. 26-31 [Electronic resource]. URL: http://ras.jes.su/socis/s013216250025138-4-1-en (circulation date: 30.04.2024). DOI: 10.31857/S013216250025138-4
MLA	Qin, Li, Babich, Nikolay S. "Reability of Public Opinion Polls in China." Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya 3 (2023):26-31. DOI: 10.31857/S013216250025138-4
APA	Qin L., Babich N. (2023). Reability of Public Opinion Polls in China. Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya (3), pp.26-31 DOI: 10.31857/S013216250025138-4

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