Consuming China Approaches to Cultural Change in Contemporary China

In the Post-Mao era China is often noted for its burgeoning consumer society in the train of economic reform. Consuming China explores the notion of Chinese consumption refocusing attention on broader processes of social and cultural change in Greater China. Interrogating the concept of consumption in Chinese contexts, the book suggests that it is not simply a symptom of economic reform. Rather consumption has to be seen as a fundamental component of contemporary Chinese cultural practices taking into account both the continuities and the ruptures between different contexts in Greater China and beyond. In a departure from previous literature, the contributors extend their focus to incorporate a discussion of consumption outside mainland China, including case studies from Taiwan and Hong Kong. By considering these comparable transnational contexts, Consuming China affords a greater understanding of the practice of Chinese consumption and will appeal to China scholars and anthropologists, and to those with an interest in cultural studies.Thompson, Stuart is the author of 'Consuming China Approaches to Cultural Change in Contemporary China', published 2006 under ISBN 9780700714025 and ISBN 0700714022.