Class Status And Consumer Behavior

Based on the analytical framework of Pierre Bourdieu's theory on social status, the author attempts to analysis the relationship between the class status and consumer behavior, exploring the stratification of consumption under the influence of institutional and structural factors.The research focuses on the different consumer behaviors of diverse statuses, the consistency of the consumption differentiation and stratification differentiation, and the influences of social status and institutional factors on the consumption of social members. Based on the data of CGSS 2003, the author explores the relationship between the consumption and stratification, from the aspects of consumer spending and the consumption of durables.According to Prof. LIU Xin's theory, public power, control rights over assets (public and private), and human capital (professional assets), constitute together the dynamic basis for class differentiation in contemporary China. Based on these dynamics, 5 classes can be identified in urban China. The five classes are the top class (command class), upper middle class, lower middle class, skilled workers, and non-skilled workers. The results showed that different classes have obvious differences in terms of consumer spending and the consumption of durables, and the differentiation shows consistency; meanwhile, the institutional factors such as Household Registration System and Social Security System, also significantly affect social members' consumption.