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China URBAN SOCIETY
There is considerable confusion in both Chinese and foreign
sources over definitions of urban places and hence considerable
variation in estimates of China's urban population
(see Migration
, ch. 2). The problem of determining the size of the urban population
reflects inconsistent and changing administrative categories; the
distinction between rural and urban household registry and between
categories of settlements; the practice of placing suburban or
rural districts under the administration of municipal governments;
and the differences in the status accorded to small towns. In
sociological terms, urban refers to an area characterized by
a relatively high degree of specialization in occupational roles,
many special-purpose institutions, and uniform treatment of people
in impersonal settings. In this sense, a Chinese market town is
more urban than a village, and settlements become more urban as
they grow in size and economic complexity. Special municipalities
like Beijing and Shanghai have the highest degree of division of
labor and the most specialized institutions.
Data as of July 1987
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