Mass Media and Consumerist Values in the People's Republic of China

In this study, we report results from parallel cross-section surveys of probability samples from the two largest cities in China. We pose two questions; What are consumerist value orientations anchored in Chinese individualism? How is mass media exposure related to the emergence of such values? We find three stable consumerist value orientations: conspicuous consumption, aspiration for self-actualization, and worshipping Western lifestyles. Those who are younger, better educated, and financially better off are the most likely bearers of these values. Further, bearing these values is related to frequent reading of consumer magazines and exposure to outdoor advertisements. Placed in the context of China's on-going economic reforms, we discuss how these results indicate the changing social and cultural milieu of China's social transformation, and what their implications are for the prospect of political pluralism in post-Tiananmen China.