As Chinese cities rapidly transformed themselves into consumerist societies,the relationship between consumers and consumption space under stratification has become a new research area in the field of urban social geo...As Chinese cities rapidly transformed themselves into consumerist societies,the relationship between consumers and consumption space under stratification has become a new research area in the field of urban social geography.Based on a consumer behavior analysis,this study explores the relationship between consumption space and the social strata of consumers in typical shopping malls in Guangzhou where the first shopping mall in China was built.The result shows that shopping malls have performed significant constructive functions of organizing consumers from different social classes into different consumption space.For middle-and upper-class consumers,the function of shopping malls centers on utilitarian consumption,identity recognition,and identity construction;whereas for lower-class consumers,its function revolves around pleasure and enjoyment.The symbolism of consumption space is the underlying reason for shopping malls to have their social constructive function.The findings of this research suggest that:1) a shopping mall is a productive consumption space and a geographical space with subjectivity;2) the micro-location of a shopping mall has social construction function;and 3) symbolic consumption is the core of social construction.展开更多
Based on the discussion of the concept of the developmental state and the socialist developmental state, this article describes and analyzes the development process of China＇s economy and society since the reform and...Based on the discussion of the concept of the developmental state and the socialist developmental state, this article describes and analyzes the development process of China＇s economy and society since the reform and opening from the perspective of state transformation, and explores the deep-level causes of the difficulties contemporary China is facing in its economic and social development. It argues that the Chinese state has gradually become a developmental state with a new form, which has played an important role in promoting the development of China＇s economy and society but meanwhile has brought some negative impacts. China has made many efforts to go beyond the developmental state, and achieved notable success in various aspects since 2002, but there are still many problems, especially when struck by the 2008 world financial crisis; the negative impacts of the developmental state are gradually emerging. Moreover, the Chinese government still tends to sidestep some systemic and structural problems, and some policies are in fact consolidating the dominance of the old system, which will inevitably increase the difficulties for the Chinese state to go beyond the developmental state.展开更多
基金Under the auspices of National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.40971088,40401018)Humanities and Social Sciences Foundation of Ministry of Education of China(No.09YJAZH105)Graduate Education Reform Project of SUN Yat-Sen University(No.ZGEI026)
文摘As Chinese cities rapidly transformed themselves into consumerist societies,the relationship between consumers and consumption space under stratification has become a new research area in the field of urban social geography.Based on a consumer behavior analysis,this study explores the relationship between consumption space and the social strata of consumers in typical shopping malls in Guangzhou where the first shopping mall in China was built.The result shows that shopping malls have performed significant constructive functions of organizing consumers from different social classes into different consumption space.For middle-and upper-class consumers,the function of shopping malls centers on utilitarian consumption,identity recognition,and identity construction;whereas for lower-class consumers,its function revolves around pleasure and enjoyment.The symbolism of consumption space is the underlying reason for shopping malls to have their social constructive function.The findings of this research suggest that:1) a shopping mall is a productive consumption space and a geographical space with subjectivity;2) the micro-location of a shopping mall has social construction function;and 3) symbolic consumption is the core of social construction.
文摘Based on the discussion of the concept of the developmental state and the socialist developmental state, this article describes and analyzes the development process of China＇s economy and society since the reform and opening from the perspective of state transformation, and explores the deep-level causes of the difficulties contemporary China is facing in its economic and social development. It argues that the Chinese state has gradually become a developmental state with a new form, which has played an important role in promoting the development of China＇s economy and society but meanwhile has brought some negative impacts. China has made many efforts to go beyond the developmental state, and achieved notable success in various aspects since 2002, but there are still many problems, especially when struck by the 2008 world financial crisis; the negative impacts of the developmental state are gradually emerging. Moreover, the Chinese government still tends to sidestep some systemic and structural problems, and some policies are in fact consolidating the dominance of the old system, which will inevitably increase the difficulties for the Chinese state to go beyond the developmental state.
