Anomie Theory and Crime in a Transitional China (1978—)

• Author: Linda Shuo Zhao
• Date: 01 June 2008
• DOI: 10.1177/1057567708318485
• Published date: 01 June 2008
• Subject Matter: Articles

Anomie Theory and Crime in a

Transitional China (1978–)

Linda Shuo Zhao

Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

This article examines the testability of Merton’s anomie theory with regard to crime problems

in the context of contemporary China. An overview of crime trends in China after the onset of

economic reform in the early 1980s reveals distinctive crime patterns. The analysis of the

criminogenic potential of socioeconomic transition in China suggests that these crime patterns

with Chinese characteristics cannot be fully accounted for within the framework of the

traditional anomie theory. A newly formulated institutional discrepancy-anomie theory is

proposed arguing that the institutional discrepancies generated by coexistence of China’s

market-oriented economy and authoritarian polity contribute significantly to the dramatic

increase in crime rates. The policy implication that the Chinese government should reconsider

the undue emphasis on punitive crime control policy is presented.

Keywords: anomie; crime rates; corruption; social transition; institutional discrepancies;

China economic reform

The People’s Republic of China (China) has entered its third decade since the initiation

of the “open-door” policy and market-oriented economic reform in 1978. During the

past three decades of reform and interaction with the capitalist West, the world has wit-

nessed China undergoing profound changes and experiencing dramatic progress in every

societal aspect. Since then, China has been on steep trajectory of economic development

with a two-digit growth rate in general domestic product (GDP). In 2006, China was ranked

the fourth largest economy in the world and the largest exporter of technology goods.

However, as an unintended consequence concomitant to a boosted economy and rapid

social transition, increased crime rates have become a serious concern. A report from the

Ministry of Public Security (MPS) indicated a sharp rise of 340% in the total number of

crimes during the first decade of reform (1979-1990), with a 10-fold increase in serious

crimes (Dai, 1995). According to the China Law Yearbooks, overall crime rates increased

to 163 per 100,000 people in 1998, up from the rate of 56 per 100,000 people in 1978.

Crimes eradicated under the draconian crime control policies of the early years (the 1950s)

137

International Criminal

Justice Review

Volume 18 Number 2

June 2008 137-157

© 2008 Georgia State University

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Author’s Note: Portions of an earlier draft of this article were presented at the 2004 annual meeting of the

American Society of Criminology in Toronto, Canada. The author would like to express her appreciation to Dr.

Kathleen Auerhahn, Associate Professor of Criminal Justice, Temple University, for her helpful comments on

the earlier draft of this article, and Ms. Dorothy Weiland for her contribution to the final draft of this article.

Please address correspondence to Linda Shuo Zhao, Temple University, Criminal Justice Department, 1115 W.

Berks Street, 5th Floor Gladfelter Hall, Philadelphia, PA 19122; e-mail: shuozhao@temple.edu.

of the Communist regime, such as prostitution, drug and human trafficking, and gang-

related crimes have staged a comeback (China Law Yearbook, 1987-1998), and appear to

grow unabated as the process of liberalization of Chinese economy and society continues

in the new millennium.

China’s rising crime rates are interesting to analyze because most studies on crime and

deviance are conducted in the setting of the Western world. A transitional China provides

a good opportunity to examine the applicability of classic criminological theories in a con-

text different from the West. Although an expansive body of literature has discussed the

connections between social transition and crime, there has been little theoretical explo-

ration and few empirical studies on anomie theory done in the developing Asian countries,

particularly in China. This article will explore whether recent change in crime rates as

China transitions from a socialist to a market economy offers compelling evidence to sup-

port anomie theory. The article argues that in the transition to a free market economy in

China, anomic strains arise and are more acutely felt among two social groups, and the

anomie-inducing process in China takes on the form of institutional discrepancy generated

by the coexistence of a market economy with an authoritarian polity.

This article will begin with a description of recent crime trends in China, followed by a

review of the concepts and theories in the anomie tradition that pertains to China’s crime

problems. Then the article will discuss the proposed institutional discrepancy-anomie the-

ory, examine the criminogenic potential of the socioeconomic transition in China, and pre-

sent an analysis of how particular crime patterns in China are accounted for within this

framework. Finally, the analysis in policy implications suggests that the government should

reconsider the increased use of punitive crime control measures.

Crime Trends in China’s Post-Reform Era

The rapid socioeconomic changes generated by the process of modernization, urbaniza-

tion, and privatization in China during the past three decades are unprecedented in Chinese

history. A comparison with the United States is illustrative of the spectacular changes that

have taken place in China. Whereas the United States needed 47 years, China spent only 9

years doubling its per capita income, with the per capita income having quadrupled in the

past 18 years. A reduction of the rural labor population from 70% to 50% occurred in China

within 17 years, whereas the same process in the United States spanned 50 years (Pei,

2001). The scale of crimes accompanying economic prosperity, however, is alarming.

Supported by China’s official data,1the studies conducted by both Chinese and Western

scholars on crimes in China suggest noticeable patterns and trends. There has been a sig-

nificant increase in overall crime rates, the majority of which are profit-inducing crimes.

The overall crime rate has quadrupled over two decades of economic reform. In the early

1980s the overall crime rate was 80 per 100,000 population cresting at 210 per 100,000 in

1991, and reaching 360 per 100,000 in 2000. Violent crimes and property crimes have risen

steadily. In particular, robbery has shown a more dramatic increase than other crimes: The

robbery rate has surged from more than 20,000 cases in 1981 to 350,000 cases in 2001, a

17-fold increase in 20 years (Law Yearbook of China, 1988-2002, as cited in Bakken,

2004). White-collar crimes, such as fraud and counterfeiting, are also increasing. Along with

138 International Criminal Justice Review