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作者

Shuangshuang Tang;Pu Hao;Jianxi Feng

来源

CITIES,Vol.106,Issue1,Article 102856

语言

英文

关键字

Consumer behavior;Rural migrants;Chinese youth;Precarity;Urban China

作者单位

School of Geography, Nanjing Normal University, Jiangsu Center for Collaborative Innovation in Geographical Information Resource Development and Application, 1 Wenyuan Road, Nanjing, China;Department of Geography, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong;Department of Urban Planning and Design, School of Architecture and Urban Planning, Nanjing University, 22 Hankou Road, Nanjing 210093, China;School of Geography, Nanjing Normal University, Jiangsu Center for Collaborative Innovation in Geographical Information Resource Development and Application, 1 Wenyuan Road, Nanjing, China;Department of Geography, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong;Department of Urban Planning and Design, School of Architecture and Urban Planning, Nanjing University, 22 Hankou Road, Nanjing 210093, China

摘要

In Chinese cities, rural migrant workers are usually considered consumers with the lowest purchasing power. Nevertheless, the younger generation of rural migrants, who are considerably better educated and higher paid than their predecessors, form a growing group of able consumers. The increased consumption demand and capacity of rural migrants have started to transform the commercial landscape of Chinese cities, potentially contributing to the country's transition towards a consumption-driven economy. Based on a 2012 survey in Jiangsu Province, this paper identifies four distinct consumer types among young rural migrant workers: conservative, balanced, frustrated and adventurous. Their different consumption behaviors are shaped not only by their financial capacities, but also by their family responsibilities and acculturation attitudes in the city. Despite the similar constraints faced by all young rural migrant workers, some are more eager to develop an urban lifestyle and identity through imitating the consumer behavior of urban natives, while others largely retain rural customs and habits, which are shared by older generation migrant workers. The findings point to the impact of social and institutional barriers on rural migrants' consumption in light of increased social inequality amid China's urban transition.