Returning to normality: anomie and crime in China

The current study explored the value change as manifested in the sense of anomie during the 1990s and sources of anomie in contemporary China. The multiple regression analysis found that employment, having children, and satisfaction in life were significantly related to anomie; however, the effect of education was related to anomie in the direction that was inconsistent with what was known in the Western literature. Age had no significant effect on anomie. It is concluded that the crime rates remain relatively low even after many years of dramatic increase, and that China may not be able to maintain its tight control over politics forever.