New Paths in the Study of Emerging Generation Values and Behavior Patterns

This paper casts its foci on values and behavioral patterns of the new and young generation, aiming to build a theoretical framework for understanding the influence of cultural structures on them. In specific, this paper first unearthes two neglects in previous studies. First, focal theories have been neglected in previous attempts to investigate values and behavioral patterns of the young generation. This paper tries to incorporate the concept of “intergenerational order” into “social order.” In so doing, three classical theories of social order (i.e., power obedience, norm sharing, and interest contract) can provide lenses to integrating scattered studies on youth culture and intergenerational relations. By serving as the main element in the theoretical framework proposed in this paper, social order elevates youth studies from the micro- and meso-level to the macro-level. Second, previous studies have neglected the role of “cultural structures” when unravelling the formation of values and behavioral patterns. Therefore, this paper borrows theoretical tools from cultural sociology to interpret how the macro social structure transforms individual cognition and actions. In China, the social structure is represented by the special cultural structure where the discourse systems of tradition, of socialism, and of markets coexist. This “cultural turn” expands the scope of studies on values and behavioral patterns of the young generation.