| Abstract: | In this study, we report results from parallel cross-sectionsurveys of probability samples from the two largest cities inChina. We pose two questions; What are consumerist value orientationsanchored in Chinese individualism? How is mass media exposurerelated to the emergence of such values? We find three stableconsumerist value orientations: conspicuous consumption, aspirationfor self-actualization, and worshipping Western lifestyles.Those who are younger, better educated, and financially betteroff are the most likely bearers of these values. Further, bearingthese values is related to frequent reading of consumer magazinesand exposure to outdoor advertisements. Placed in the contextof China's on-going economic reforms, we discuss how these resultsindicate the changing social and cultural milieu of China'ssocial transformation, and what their implications are for theprospect of political pluralism in post-Tiananmen China. |
