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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
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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
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The Face of Chinese Consumption+ichal Gasiore,
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
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The Face of Chinese Consumption+ichal Gasiore,
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
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The Face of Chinese Consumption+ichal Gasiore,
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
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The Face of Chinese Consumption+ichal Gasiore,
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
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The Face of Chinese Consumption+ichal Gasiore,
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
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The Face of Chinese Consumption+ichal Gasiore,
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 (
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The Face of Chinese Consumption+ichal Gasiore,
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
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The Face of Chinese Consumption+ichal Gasiore,
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
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The Face of Chinese Consumption+ichal Gasiore,
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
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The Face of Chinese Consumption+ichal Gasiore,
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
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?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
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The Face of Chinese Consumption+ichal Gasiore,
%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
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