Urban Life in Modern China: rush-rush to crush-crush

In 1985, controversial French sociologist Michel Maffesoli created the term “urban tribe” to describe groups of people who share common interests. The current issue of The Economist has a fascinating article about the subdivisions of urban China into various improbably named tribes (or zu in Mandarin).

These include:

  • Yi zu, or ant tribe—recent graduates from outside the main cities who move to urban areas, live cheaply, work hard, often in low-paid jobs. This term was term coined by Chinese sociologist Lian Si in his 2009 book, Ant Tribe. He says “They share every similarity with ants. They live in colonies in cramped areas. They’re intelligent and hardworking, yet anonymous and underpaid.”
  • Ken lao zu, the bite-the-old tribe, those between 25 and 35 who are underemployed or out of work, still at home and sponging off their parents.
  • Jia wan zu, the marry-the-bowl tribe. These are young women searching for that most stable of husbands, the one who holds a government (or “iron rice bowl”) job.
  • Yin hun zu, the hidden-marriage tribe. Women in their 20s who hide the fact that they are married, knowing they will not be hired or promoted in paternalistic Chinese companies unwilling to grant maternity leave.
  • Wo ju zu, the snail-house tribe who can only afford a postage stamp of an apartment.
  • Ben ben zu, the rush-rush tribe, to which, in fact, most urban Chinese belong.

and last, but not least:

  • Nie nie zu, the crush-crush tribe, so named because they go into supermarkets and take out their frustrations with urban life by standing in the aisles crushing packets of instant noodles. Well, why not? It beats going postal.

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I’m a westerner living in South Korea, and know from experience that collective thinking takes getting used to. This is especially true in largely homogeneous countries such as those of the far East. Many of the ‘tribes’ you mentioned above would probably have Western equivalents, with just different names! Thanks for posting.



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