The Face of Modern Chinese Consumerism: A Study of Behaviors and Beliefs in Urban Youth

8/20/2019 The Face of Modern Chinese Consumerism: A Study of Behaviors and Beliefs in Urban Youth

1/14

The Face of Chinese Consumption

Analyzing the How and Why Behind Contemporary Chinese Gen Y Consumption Attitudes

Issues in Contemporary Chinese Consumption

Professor Julie Starr

AllianceS!"# $ %#!BS&B 'ialogue ()*(

Composed by

+ichal Gasiore,

%ortheastern !ni-ersity. Class of ()*/

&nternational +ar,eting $ #ast Asian Studies0Chinese

August 15th, 2012

INTR!"CTIN


2/14

The Face of Chinese Consumption+ichal Gasiore,

Since *123. after 'eng 4iao Ping5s profree mar,et reforms. the People5s 6epu7lic of China has

7een almost in-inci7ly 7ooming8 production and consumption. e9ports and imports. and most of

all :uality of life are at some of the highest le-els China has e9perienced in the ()th century

;'a-is< and yet for centuries 7efore and since 'eng 4iao Ping5s great opening of the once

=closed empire.= the rest of the world has 7een -ying for a slice of the pie> ?o that end. the past/) years ha-e indeed 7een -ery good for =Western= consumption in China. and continues to 7e.

often touted 7y the endlessly increasing Chinese demand for lu9ury Western goods8 in ()*).

Chinese consumers spent o-er !S'@) 7illion on lu9ury foreign goods from #urope alone. and

gi-en the high import ta9es on such products. of these purchases were coupled with la-ish

getaways to o-erseas locations li,e Paris. 6ome. and +ilan for the actual act of consumption

;?homas ()*( Howe-er. these goods aren5t Dust popular among the wellesta7lished8 while

China5s (>2 million millionaires. at an a-erage age of E1. are -ery high consumers of lu9ury

foreign 7rands. two out of e-ery three Western lu9ury purchases were 7y Frsttime7uyers. /

of them 7etween ages *3 and E/ ;?homas ()*(

At Frst glance. one may assume the American dream is ali-e and well in China. with high and

growing aspirational consumption and. if the nature of modern Chinese ad-ertising is to 7e any

indication. e-ident glo7alization of the ancient Chinese culture and its associated deepseated

-alues> Howe-er. not only does the presence of glo7al images and foreign attitude appeals in

these ads assume this shift in Chinese -alues. 7ut to less pro7ing eyes. in itself incorrectly

implies the o-erwhelming success of Western mar,et glo7alism as a matteroffact in =the new

China>= &n truth. the a7o-e Fgures. usually touted 7y Western mar,eting conglomerates. only tell

part of the story> ?he comple9 reality of persistent and shifting Chinese principles presents. asalways. a competently am7i-alent perspecti-e. with the growth of Western -alues of

consumptiondri-en indi-idualism and distinction 7lending with traditional Chinese Confucian

inspired -alues of moral discipline and a necessarily integrati-e social state slow to independent

change> &n fact. despite their accrued wealth. China5s (>2 million millionaires account for only

)>( of China5s o-er *>E/ 7illion consumers. and the @)B spent on #uropean lu9ury goods

doesn5t hold e-en a ic,ering candle to the nation5s !S'@2>E trillion G'P ;World Ban, ()*( ?he

modern Chinese consumer is no open 7oo,8 raised 7y parents who sur-i-ed the period of China5s

greatest cultural. social. and economic uphea-al 7orn under the pressureFlled auspices of the

onechild policy confronted 7y the daily rigors of sometimes as many as */ or more hours of

schooling. e9tracurricular. study. and enrichment. all in preparation for the lifedeciding GaoIao

college entry e9am and confronted 7y 7eing the Frst generation of cradletogra-e Chinese

consumers 7eing forced to pit Chinese thrift and pragmatism against Western consumerism and

hedonism ;'a-is. '> $ Sensen7renner. J> ?his report will attempt to oer a small taste of this demanding perspecti-e 7y

Page 2 of 1#


3/14


e9amining the attitudes of the latest generation of Chinese consumers Gen Y. aged 7etween

*3( as of ()*( 7y focusing Frstly on the generational inuences imparted on Gen Ys 7y their

parents. who Frsthand e9perienced the start shift from +aoera Communism to mar,et

capitalism followed 7y a 7rief loo, into the inuence of traditional Chinese -alues on purchasing

7eha-iors. and the Western inuences simultaneously swaying them>FIN!IN$%

Conte&t of Consumption' (arents and Chi)dhood of $en*+

While 'eng 4iao Ping5s economic reforms ha-e and continue to irre-oca7ly shape the nature of

Chinese life. the social reforms of +ao5s era are ha-ing Dust as stri,ing an eect on Gen Y

through their parents> As discussed later in this paper. the role of the family in Chinese culture

continues to 7e paramount> While it is true that in almost e-ery culture. it is through the medium

of their families that children consume not Dust sustenance. shelter. and their Frst goods ;such asclothes. toys. and e-en o-erheard media ?his is clear e-en in my own e9periences with Chinese locals8

in getting to ,now them. 7e they =Westernized= or traditional. and 7eginning to distinguish

aspects of their indi-idual personality. upon e-entually as,ing a7out their family li-es and

-alues. the comple9 interplay of socially imparted family. neigh7orhood. school. societal. and

political -alue inuences gradually 7ecomes re-ealed> Howe-er. with little to no e9ception. inpersonal and much of secondhand research. it remains consistently true that in the act of

ma,ing daily and largescale decisions such as choice and style of personal education. the

pursuit of relationships. engagement in nightlife and drin,ing. and a slew of su7tle and often

diKcult to percei-e personality traits originate Frst within the family. and are only then acted

upon 7y outside forces> ?hat said. the forces and implications of the -alues e9pressed within the

modern Chinese family e9plored here are in 7rief. 7ut e-en so. result from some speciFc

e9amina7le social and economic situations that shaped the li-es of e-ery Chinese parent of

today>Born around the *1)s and )s. the parents of today5s Generation Y had. to say it gently. diKcult

li-es> "or most. e9cepting those within the political elite. daily life re-ol-ed around sur-i-ing

within material shortages and stagnant incomes. political suering and social uphea-al. and.

importantly. maintaining family 7onds within -ariously mediumto-ery large family units almost

uni-ersally supported on standardized incomes ;'a-is. '> Lery little entertainment was

Page of 1#


4/14


a-aila7le to any. and what little e9isted was doled out through politicized wor, or education

units. lea-ing little room for choice> Clothing for the children of this era. now parents to a

generation o-erwhelmed 7y hyperchoice in fashion. was slightly more limited8 most ,ids wore

handmedowns from older si7lings. some were luc,y to ha-e parents a7le to produce clothing

for them. and it was common to modulate and size down adult clothes for ,idswear> &n their

-estments. colored -arious styles of dra7. these children 7ore witness to the economic

de-astation 7rought a7out 7y the Great Meap "orward ;some may ha-e e-en helped melt the

pots in the 7ac,yard furnaces ?hey ine-ita7ly o7ser-ed Frsthand the painful and often -iolent

political reformation of esta7lished society during the Cultural 6e-olution. and found themsel-es

without options for personal reformation during the stringent period of antiintellectualism

following. which caused the shuttering of schools and colleges ;Mee C> ())E

"ollowing 'eng 4iao Ping5s commercial re-olution. the hierarchal political dependency. the

standardization of not Dust wages 7ut lifestyle. and the impossi7ility of social maneu-era7ility did

not immediately -anish. 7ut o-er time ha-e li7eralized greatly> With the opening of the mar,et.

indi-idual desires and social networ,s allowed some of today5s parents to secure comforta7le

futures for their ,ids 7y starting their own 7usinesses8 in an economy of low competition. and

one not used to the role of mar,eting. some selfmade incredi7le ;or at least comforta7le<

fortunes 7y 7eing :uic,mo-ing. persistent. and o7eying the fundamental law of supply and

demand ;Nhang. M> ()*) Howe-er. for their nim7leness. these social mo-ers recei-ed proFt. 7ut

e-en wealth did not open them up to a true social ascent8 coming from hum7le 7eginnings. self

made families lac,ed the cultural capital necessary for ad-ancement into China5s modernizing

upper 7rac,ets> ?hese hardships. 7ut also the opportunities they presented. deFned the

childhood of today5s parents. and are deFning the family -alues impressed upon today5s children>

?he implication of the li-es of their parents on Gen Y is signiFcant> Being una7le to pursue

education during their young adulthood. now coupled with the limitation of the onechild policy

and the increasing intellectual and s,ill demands of the free mar,et. parents ha-e a -ested

interest in ma,ing education the core of their children5s li-es> +odern parents spend large

portions of their income not only on their children5s education. which is directly tied to future

success in the minds of 7oth children and parents ;Mee. C> ())E ?hese commonly reect

am7itious class desires through acti-ities li,e playing instruments. 7allet. or artistry. 7ut also

include athletic pursuits> Parents are not supporting and attempting to distinguish their children

strictly for their sa,e8 gi-en their own ina7ility to. as it were. tra-el 7ac, in time and gain culture

capital through education. their rely on their children to ser-e the role of family cultura

Page # of 1#


5/14


am7assadors> ?his means consumption of often Western and =glo7alized= goods. highlyregarded

personifying s,ills. and the 7est education a-aila7le ;earned or purchased< ;'a-is. '> $

Sensen7renner. J>> Howe-er. the ,ids are no slouches8 gi-en the selfmade nature of their

parents. ,ids are inundated with a demand for perse-erance. selfdiscipline. and educationa

rigor in an eort to =safely= attain a competiti-ely sought =good= Do7 capa7le of 7ringing 7oth

honor and money to the family. sometimes at the e9pense of social s,ills emphasized in Western

countries> ?hus. through their parents. reinforced 7y society. and independently -alued. ,ids

-alue ,nowledge. hard wor,. and pragmatism> ?hey. also through their parents. ,now and

gradually come to understand Western 7rands. 7ut also many Chinese ones> "inally. they

maintain their 7onds of family throughout their entire li-es. and maintain persistently the -alues

impressed upon them> As such. these -alues ha-e the greatest appeal to the Chinese in ads.

among the most popular 7eing a cognac piece showing a family 7ringing luc, to a communal

+ahDongg game and enDoying -ictory after opening a 7ottle. most of all 7ecause of the familia

focus ;'a-is. '> $ Sensen7renner. J> And of ad-ertising. there is much>

=China's headlong plunge into "market socialism" immersed an entire generation of "singletons"

into an increasingly commodied environment deeply engaged with the products and

advertising of global capitalism." ;'a-is. '> $ Sensen7renner. J> p>/ %ew mo-ies. music. and

ad-ertising ha-e shaped China5s young consumers from 7irth> !nheard of Dust a few decades

ago. instances of children as young as three not only shopping with their parents 7ut e-en

pic,ing out a toy together for an educational or 7eha-ioral reward are common. 7ut ,ids running

into the store to the -ery toy they want ;and sometimes getting it< are. too. 7ecoming less rare>

&n one instance. &5-e o7ser-ed a child of around point to a large 6>C> truc, easily o-er !S'@E)

and get it without much fuss> Yet still. in another. a child of no more than three 7egan crying so

endlessly in a maDor mall after 7eing denied his choice treat of chips that his mother e-entually

7ought him a small sweet as she was chec,ing out. much to his :uieting delight>

?hese typically. may7e regretta7ly. Western consumption 7eha-iors are seemingly 7ecoming

standard practice in a China where *)yearolds ha-e impressi-e familiarity with the I"C menu.

Western toys resem7ling ?oy Story5s Woody and Buzz are 7eing replaced monthly 7y the new

trend ;Yan. Y> ?hese trends may 7orrow from #urope or the

!S. where mar,et changes 7efore China5s reemergence also made children larger consumers

and. a7o-e all. 7egan allowing them to dictate or at least consider their own consumption a

phenomenon to which their parents. again considering the childhoods discussed pre-iously

cannot relate> Howe-er. gi-en the importance of children to their parents5 social mo7ility and

Page 5 of 1#


6/14


future well7eing. the costs are rising 7ut gi-en the onechild policy. in an une9pected way>

Same as the !S and #urope in emergent youth consumption. China diers in not only the larger

size of the =proportional claims of family wealth= children are demanding. 7ut also in the

=uniformOness among dierent economic classes= -ersus dierent societies ;'a-is. '> $

Sensen7renner. J> p 2 ?hey are consuming products and 7rands. 7ut also meaning8 through

consumption. 'ouglas&sherwood argues human indi-iduals and societies 7uild meaning and

esta7lish purpose> Gi-en the lac, of F9ed class structure especially during their childhood

;ma,ing Burdieu5s parentage7ased class7uilding outloo, not yet rele-ant $

Sensen7renner. J>

Through -estern .yes * The /acro (erspectie of Chinese %ocieta) a)ues

&n *13). Geert Hofstede introduced the Hofstede social model 7y collecting the responses of.

initially. &B+ employees from /) countries and aligning their responses along / sociologica

planes measuring uni:ue aspects of their respecti-e national cultures> After many more sur-eys

administered to a progressi-ely di-erse pool of respondents. a total count of 1E e9amined

countries. the addition of another sociological plane measuring a societal perspecti-e Hofstede

himself admitted omitting in his research. the ()*) third edition of Hofstede5s 7ody of wor,

reects the most current and complete =Western= perspecti-e of Chinese society to date

;Hofstede. G> ()*( ?he scales analyzed 7y Hofstede5s research e9amine -alues. discussed in

depth 7elow. and. strictly for perspecti-e. are compared against the same American -alues in

Appendi9. ?a7le *>

?he Frst measured -alue is power distance. which e9amines the le-el of authoritati-e distancing

7etween a gi-en indi-idual and his superior. 7e it in a family. wor,. or social setting and each

actor5s acceptance of said power distri7ution> 6an,ing with a high 3). on a general 7ut uncapped

range of * to *)). China5s power distance ran,ing implies the nation percei-es ine:ualities as not

Dust ine-ita7le. 7ut accepta7le and respected. gi-ing credence to a7le authority> &n deeper

Page of 1#


7/14


o7ser-ation. this social phenomenon goes handinhand with another8 the suscepti7ility of

Chinese 7uyers on the guidance of opinion leaders. especially oKcial Fgures of authority in gi-en

Felds> As,ing two Chinese friends a7out whether they 7ought anything 7ecause of a cele7rity

endorsement. one immediately 7urst out that he lo-es Yao +ing and would may7e try something

he endorsed. and on further discussion said he has tried a Western cereal an uncon-entional

Chinese 7rea,fast once after seeing Yao +ing5s charming grin on the 7ag. although he did not

li,e it and has not purchased the 7rand or any other cereals since> ?he power of opinion leaders

is especially important considering Chinese 7rand preferences8 E of Chinese consumers ha-e

a personal shortlist of preferred 7rands ;in itself a maDor de-elopment< 7ut these opinions can

7e altered. gi-en 23 of shoppers decide what they will 7uy instore and only (( stic, to their

original purchasing intention ;Giele. "> ())1 ?he society. stil

upholding of ancient Confucian -alues of sociallyesta7lished norms and ordered relationships.

generally underta,es actions for the good of the group. and decides what those actions should

7e through implicit consensus> ?his again raises the diKculty of entering the Chinese mar,et as a

new 7rand gi-en conformity norms and normati-e consumption standards for one5s reference

group ;Wang. C> $ Min. 4> ())1

?wo other facets complicate the analysis. those 7eing masculismRfeminism and uncertainty

a-oidance> ?he former analyzes society from the -iewpoint of possessing either stereotypically

masculine features those 7eing personal glory. selfsacriFce. and competition for success

-ersus stereotypically feminine features which place greater emphasis on egalitarianism. high

:uality of life for all. and harmony> !ncertainty a-oidance. on the other hand. deFnes society5s

le-el of comfort with am7iguity in daily situations. and the a-oidance or pursuit thereof> China

came out as a masculine society with. postCommunism. a high le-el of competition in

education. the wor,force. marriage. and e-en daily relationships outside of one5s closest circles>

&t echoes the eort put in 7y Gen Y on their daily studies. 7ut also the plight of the rural

immigrant wor,er who lea-es his family for the large cities in search of a 7etter future not for

himself. 7ut for his family> &n the case of the latter. on certainty. the Chinese seem to 7as, in

am7i-alence. with am7iguity e9pressed in language. social interactions. and indeed. their -ery

Page 3 of 1#


8/14


shopping ha7its. as e9pressed 7y their daily frugality contrasted against seemingly irrational

highcost lu9ury purchases>

"inally. in the most recent update to the model. Hofstede included a new measure8 long term

orientation. or the e-aluation of a society5s longterm. pragmatic -ersus con-entionally historica

shortterm perspecti-e in terms of in-estments. social planning. politics. and e-ery other maDor

implication> China. ran,ing within the top margin of the list. scored a staggering **3> "ounded

and per-asi-ely anchored in Confucian -alues of perse-erance. tradition. frugality. and

conser-atism. not only is the implication of this ran,ing that the traditional -irtues of the Chinese

culture are continuing on undeterred. 7ut that the eect these -alues ha-e on Chinese

consumption are and will continue to 7e pi-otal>

+ore than that. the longterm outloo, implies another maDor point. this time with regards to al

the other social strata8 they. too. are here to stay> ?he collecti-ist nature of Chinese society. the

hierarchal inuence and respect of power. the stri-ing masculinity of society for a 7righter

tomorrow. and e-en the uncertain am7i-alence surrounding these -ery understandings are and

will continue to 7e ,ey aspects of the Chinese culture. and of their respecti-e consumption

ha7its> ?ruly. e-en a century of capitalism would not thousands of years of innately perse-erant

Chinese culture and the only actiona7le reaction is not to act to change it with a further

7arrage of capitalistic Western modernism. 7ut to understand and ser-e it> ?hese aspects ser-e

not to fully answer the :uestion of what it means to 7e a Chinese consumer. 7ut rather to

present the distant -iewpoint of what it means to 7e a consumer within the setting of Chinese

society> &ndeed. one of Hofstede5s greatest critics. Professor +eiyu "ang of ?aiwan. argues that in

a-erage ;perhaps meaning more indi-idual. in this case< societies. only as much as / percent of

personal. indi-idual -alues are e9plained 7y national dierences ;Wang. C> $ Min. 4> ())1

Through .astern .yes * A /icro (erspectie of Chinese Indiidua))y .&pressed a)ues

With allegedly / co-ered 7y society. +ichael Bond5s / 'imensions of Chinese -alues aims to

pro7e the remaining 1 7y presenting respondents with a re:uest to hierarchically arrange

-alues within the / maDor pillars of Chinese thought ;?a7le (


9/14


moral discipline. standing for Confucian -irtues of moderation. limited desires. and adapta7ility>

After an initial 7attery of *)) respondents each from (E countries ;() o-erlapped with Hofstede ())E His results were intended to showcase the most present

screenshot of =modern= ChineseAsian thought. ta,ing to heart the glo7alized nature of these

two cities. 7ut also the rich history and 7ac,ground of those he was e9amining> Mimiting the

results to the most rele-ant age group. 7etween (*E). the 7lending of Western and #astern

trac,s of thought 7ecame apparent>

&n ordering the gi-en -alues. the youngest age group of respondents selected Flial piety and

social cohesion as the topmost une:ui-ocally important and rele-ant -alues. again gi-ing weight

to the inuence of parents on their children5s li-es and consumption ha7its> ?he second most

important -irtue emerged to 7e pragmatism. e9pressed through the -alue of education. hard

wor,. and a clear life direction> "inally. a moral o7ligation 7y way of ,indness and trustworthiness

in 7usiness and social dealings Fnished o the youth5s -irtue priorities ;Wang. C> $ Min. 4> ())1

?he importance of loyalty to one5s family and networ, reinforces Chinese consensus7uilding in

consumption. 7ut also much more> Besides noting that which is most important. respondents

listed what they considered least rele-ant8 indi-idual. 7ut especially selFsh. desires ;persona

morality. all for themsel-es. man con:uering nature. li-ing for the moment Supported 7y other 7odies of wor,. shopping also 7ecomes e9pressed

as a social e9perience. especially in the powerful role of a salesperson who 7ecomes not Dust

personiFed consumption socialization 7ut also an authoritati-e Fgure capa7le of assisting

purchasing decisions ;4iao Mu. P> ())3 Brand loyalties esta7lished within the family and

maintained as part of the social norm again ma,e themsel-es ,nown. and with an emphasis on

Chinese goods. E) of respondents to a ())3 +cIinsey sur-ey stated they would only trust

Chinese 7rands to 7egin with ;Giele. "> ())1 ?he Chinese 7uyer is on a-erage slow to accept

new oerings so slow. in fact. a report of western Chinese consumption posed a case of ()th

century consumers still using products they Frst tried in the *1E)s at least implying 7rand

loyalty upon mar,et penetration. 7ut showing a strong respect for tradition ;Mi. J> $ Su C> ())2

?he Chinese 7uyer also stands out as a pragmatist. frugally 7uying for utility rather than

Page of 1#


10/14


e9tra-agance. and in cases they do. doing so for communal enDoyment rather than selFsh gain>

&n a modern conte9t. patriotism is also playing a role in consumption. along with familiarity and

pu7lic consensus. pulling Chinese consumers to local goods that ha-e arisen as alternati-es to

pre-iously unchallenged and often e9pensi-e Western products ;4iao Mu. P> ())3 ?heir

e9pressed pragmatism also calls to the lin, 7etween education and a good Do7. success. and

e-entually wealth for the 7eneFt of self and family8 Chinese Gen Ys are willing to struggle and

dedicate themsel-es to wor,ing hard and consuming little now so as to 7e a7le to li-e

comforta7ly if not lu9uriously in the future ;'a-is. '> $ Sensen7renner. J> ?heir reDection of

con:uering their en-ironment spea,s to a Chinese adapta7ility. and their desire to wor, hard.

educate. and e-entually succeed ser-e as the foremost e9amples of this philosophy>

The True Face of Consumption * Mianzi, or the .&ception to the Ru)e

'espite any opposition to conser-atism or conser-ation of face in the respondents to Bond5s

sur-eys. the Chinese consumer culture again presents a picture of am7i-alence> n one hand.

social attitudes and em7edded culture support thrift. and the a-erage Chinese citizen indeed

li-es their life reDecting needless lu9ury8 the a-erage Chinese consumer sa-es or in-ests a

:uarter of total income and spends an e:ui-alent amount strictly on food according to a ())

city. (.2))respondent consumer sur-ey ;Wang. C> $ Min. 4> ())1 Howe-er. the Frstmentioned

lu9ury consumption statistics are indeed true. and are indeed set within a conte9t of thrift> So.

truly. what dri-es this needless spendingT ne answer is mianzi, or =face>= "ace is a deeply

collecti-ist Chinese -alue that in some way inuences e-ery aspect of social interaction 7etween

independent. 7ut not strictly spea,ing indi-idual. actors. 7ased on actual relationship type and

pro9imity. and the idealized e9pressions thereof ;Iipins. A> "ace is compara7le to a prestige

gained from maturing in life. amassing personal. family. and social successes. and raising one5s

social status through the ac:uisition of wealth. position. or power and through certain actions

such as conspicuous consumption. especially of e9pensi-e or respecta7ly 7randed products. face

can 7e outwardly emphasized and communicated to others ;Wang. C> $ Min. 4> ())1 According

to Julie Mi and Chenting Su. =due to the hea-y inuence of face. Asian consumers must purchase

lu9ury products to enhance. maintain. or sa-e face>>> pro-idOing a useful way to understand why

Asian consumers are -ery thrifty in their e-eryday life>>> 7uy on the other hand spend and

sometimes waste large amounts of money on lu9ury consumption= ;p (*(( Present in

almost e-ery e9pression of idealized relationship 7uilding. conspicuous face consumption not

only aects e-ery economic class of consumer ;e-en those without ade:uate funding for

necessities


11/14


culture. 7ut when ta,en alongside low disposa7le incomes. re-eals the reasoning 7ehind China5s

7ooming counterfeit manufacturing ;Wang. C> $ Min. 4> ())1 "or the a-erage Chinese consumer

see,ing to dierentiate oneself and gain face on a middling 7udget. it allows the consumer to

stoc, their closets with cheap yet still facegaining ,noc,os or e-en mi9 counterfeit goods

into their wardro7es to gain the 7est of 7oth lu9ury and pragmatism> &t lies outside the scope of

this paper to comment further on the comple9 nature of face consumption. 7ut in summary the

phenomenon of face consumption in Chinese societies is most relata7le to the phenomenon of

Western materialism ;underta,en for selfactualization in an indi-idualistic conte9t

CNC6"%IN

'espite the massi-e purchasing potential and seemingly in-inci7le economic growth. Chinese

consumers are actually 7uying relati-ely little. continue to adhere to the -alues of frugality and

pragmatism in purchasing decisions. and only a small portion of Chinese consumers is 7oth

willing and a7le to spend their money on lu9ury products unless the implicit face 7eneFt

outweighs the e9plicit monetary cost> Again. the a-erage Chinese consumer5s income is a

:uarter sa-ed. a :uarter eaten. and much of the rest spent on necessities and family> &n fact.

despite the purported Westernization of the #astern consumer e9pressed 7oth in headlines and

through ad-ertising mediums. since as early as ())1 a mo-ement towards reinstilling Chinese

culture in the consumption process has 7een ta,ing place ;Wang. C> $ Min. 4> ())1 While 7oth Hofstede and Bond oer deep insights into

modern Chinese society and the -alues of its population. the current state of China is one of u98

Western goods ha-e only entered the mar,et a few decades ago. consumerism has only recently

7ecome a potential outlet for personal e9pression and -alue de-elopment. and Gen Y is 7ut the

Frst of many who will grow up deeply em7edded in 7oth consumer and classical culture

although it will 7e the last one with the parenting of those who li-ed through the transition>

%e-ertheless. e-en lac,ing the allimportant paternal unit with the e9perience of uphea-al and

po-erty to impress upon the new youth. the nature of society in China 7uilt upon thousands of

years of sociologically persistent culture. as herein conFrmed 7y e9perts from 7oth West and

#ast is not to change too much too soon> As Chinese growth 7egins to slow. foreign 7rands fal

7ac, to e:ual footing with local competitors. and Chinese consumers ha-e a chance to taste and

;in a nod to the West< decide for their -ery own sel-es the nature of their -alues. China will enter

Page 11 of 1#


12/14


a period of sta7ilized consumption modernity> %ot modernity as it is ,nows it in the ne7ulous

=West= for to 7e Western does not necessarily mean to 7e modern 7ut a truly modern

Chinese empire 7uilt on the foundation of ancient culture. intersected 7y political idealism and

reality. and perhaps patterned in the latest 7randed selfe9pressi-e trend>

A((.N!I7

?a7le *：Geert Hofstede5s ' +odel of Chinese Lalues

Source8 Hofstede. G> ;()*( ?he ' +odel8 China> Geert Hofstede> 6etrie-ed fromhttp8RRgeert hofstede>comRchina>html

?a7le (：+ichael Bond5s / 'imensions of Chinese -alues

Integration Confucian

!ynamism

8uman

8eartedness

/ora)

!iscip)ine

?olerance of thers rderingrelationship

Iindness +oderation

Harmony with others ?hrift Patience Mimiting

desires

Solidarity with others Persistence Courtesy Adapta7ility

Page 12 of 1#


13/14


%oncompetiti-eness Ha-ing sense of

Shame

Sense of

righteousness

Prudence

?rustworthiness Personal

steadiness and

sta7ility

Patriotism Ieeping oneself

disinterestedRpu

re

Contentedness 6eciprocation

9eing conseratie Protecting

your UfaceV

A close friend 6espect

for tradition

"ilial piety

Source8 Mee. C> ;())E ?raditional Lalues and +odern Chinese Society8 ?he Cases of

Singapore and China> Chinese cademy of !ocial !ciences.

R.F.R.NC.%

'a-is. '> =&ntroduction8 A 6e-olution in Consumption>=

'a-is. '> $ Sensen7renner. J> =Commercializing Childhood8 Parental Purchases for

Shanghai5s nly Child>=

Giele. "> ;"e7> ())1 =Chinese Consumer Beha-ior8 An &ntroduction>=

Hofstede. G> ;()*( ?he ' +odel8 China> Geert Hofstede> 6etrie-ed from

http8RRgeert hofstede>comRchina>html

Mee. C> ;())E ?raditional Lalues and +odern Chinese Society8 ?he Cases of

Singapore and China> Chinese cademy of !ocial !ciences.

Mi. J> $ Su C> ;())2 How "ace &nuences Consumption. A comparati-e study of

American and Chinese consumers> nternational #ournal of $arket %esearch.

6etrie-ed from http8RRwww>docin>comRp/32/)//2>html

Iipins. A> &roducing Guani( !entiment, !elf, and !u)culture in a *orth China

+illage.

?homas. > ;Jul> ()*( Here5s Why China &s ?he "uture f ?he Mu9uryGoods +ar,et>

usiness nsider > 6etrie-ed from http8RRwww>7usinessinsider>comRchinafuture

lu9urygoods mar,et()*(2Top*

Page 1 of 1#


14/14


Yan. Y> ;())) f Ham7urger and Social Space8 Consuming +c'onalds in BeiDing>

-he Consumer %evolution in r)an China>

Wang. C> $ Min. 4> ;())1 +igration of Chinese Consumption Lalues8 ?raditions.

+odernization. and Cultural 6enaissance> #ournal of usiness /thics.

World Ban,. ?he> ;()*( China8 G'P and Population> 6etrie-ed from

http8RRdata>world7an,>orgRcountryRchina

4iao Mu. P> ;())3 #lite china lu9ury consumer 7eha-iour in china> Singapore. SG8

John Wiley $ Sons Pte> Mtd>

Nhang. M> ;()*) n !earch of &aradise( $iddle Class 0iving in a Chinese $etropolis.

Page 1# of 1#

Documents

The Face of Modern Chinese Consumerism: A Study of Behaviors and Beliefs in Urban Youth