Contrast Between Different Reasons for Chinese and American Consumption Concept
American Popular Culture
Contrast between Chinese and American Consumption Concepts
Following is a story that was once rather prevalently discussed in China: A Chinese old lady and an American old lady were both, miserably, dead. They met with each other in the heaven. The Chinese old lady said, “I have been working hard for more than thirty years. The day before my death, I finally managed to buy a large house with my own earnings. But the doctor said I was overworking, and caught a cancer. I died in my newly-brought house, but I will have no chance to live there.” The American old lady widened her eyes at what the Chinese old lady told her, and said, “I have also worked for more than thirty years, not to buy a house, but to redeem the banking loans. I have been living in my enormous house for thirty years.” This is a classic and typical story which can, to some extent, reflect the different consumption concepts between Chinese and American: in America, advance consumption is what American people uphold and execute. Even if they don’t have enough money to buy what they are longing for, they can obtain a loan from the bank, and redeem it later. While in China most Chinese advocate “secure” consumption, which means “I will not buy something beyond my consuming capability.” Then, what are the reasons that lead to such a difference in the two types of consumption concepts? The following factors should be taken into account. • Economy Consumption, first of all, calls for money. No money, no consumption! The United States is a fairly young capitalist country with its economy growing at an astonishing speed. There is only 230 years since its independence in 1776, and at most 400 years since its colony times. However, during these ninety years, from the foundation of the federal government in 1789 to the completion of its industrial revolution in the 1880s, America ranked first in the total industrial output value in 1894 from fourth in 1860, exceeding
Contrast between Chinese and American Consumption Concepts
Following is a story that was once rather prevalently discussed in China: A Chinese old lady and an American old lady were both, miserably, dead. They met with each other in the heaven. The Chinese old lady said, “I have been working hard for more than thirty years. The day before my death, I finally managed to buy a large house with my own earnings. But the doctor said I was overworking, and caught a cancer. I died in my newly-brought house, but I will have no chance to live there.” The American old lady widened her eyes at what the Chinese old lady told her, and said, “I have also worked for more than thirty years, not to buy a house, but to redeem the banking loans. I have been living in my enormous house for thirty years.” This is a classic and typical story which can, to some extent, reflect the different consumption concepts between Chinese and American: in America, advance consumption is what American people uphold and execute. Even if they don’t have enough money to buy what they are longing for, they can obtain a loan from the bank, and redeem it later. While in China most Chinese advocate “secure” consumption, which means “I will not buy something beyond my consuming capability.” Then, what are the reasons that lead to such a difference in the two types of consumption concepts? The following factors should be taken into account. • Economy Consumption, first of all, calls for money. No money, no consumption! The United States is a fairly young capitalist country with its economy growing at an astonishing speed. There is only 230 years since its independence in 1776, and at most 400 years since its colony times. However, during these ninety years, from the foundation of the federal government in 1789 to the completion of its industrial revolution in the 1880s, America ranked first in the total industrial output value in 1894 from fourth in 1860, exceeding
Bibliography: 《关于建立具有中国特色的社会保障体系的对策研究》 http://www.eduhot.com/paper/jingjilunwen/jinrongzhengquan/20060615/52461/ http://economy.guoxue.com/print.php/6459 James. O. Robert著，贾秀东译，1990，《美国神话 美国现实》，北京：中国社会科学出版社 车耳，2003，《如此美国》，北京：中信出版社 黄安年，1998，《当代美国的社会保障政策》，北京：中国社会科学出版社 竞鸿、吴华，1997，《一言难尽美国人》，北京：时事出版社 倪世雄、刘永淘，2004，《美国问题研究》（第三辑），北京：时事出版社[pic]