英格爾哈特認為，當一個社會完成工業化之後，它會朝一個新的方向前進：從生存價值觀轉向後物質主義價值觀。通過在中國17 個城市的調研我們發現，隨著經濟的日益發展與城市化的日益深入，已經有相當一部分的城市居民具有後物質主義的價值觀念。同時，我們也發現，這些持有後物質主義價值觀念的群體更加關注對環境的保護、對多元文化持有更加寬容的態度、對於參與政治有著更為強烈的願望。這些轉變顯然會對既有的經濟生產方式產生巨大的挑戰，使得我們的發展模式更加關注環境保護、關注民生。

Inglehart believes that, modernization is not a linear path, when a society completes the process of industrialization, it will move toward a new direction: shifting from survival value to post-materialist value. Based on the survey data of 17 cities in China, we find that, with economic development and urbanization, a small portion of urban residents have possessed post-materialist value. Meanwhile, we also find that, this group of people with post-materialist value pay more attention to environmental protection, are more tolerant of plural culture, and have stronger demand of political participation. This shift has posed great challenge to the current economic development model. It requires us to change development model which pay more attention to the environmental protection and people’s livelihood.