Social Construction Functions of Consumption Space under Stratification:The Case of Guangzhou  

作　　者：LIN Geng WANG Lianjun ZHANG Xiaoying 

机构地区：[1]Department of Urban and Regional Planning/Center for Urban and Regional Studies, School of Geography and Planning, SUN Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China

出　　处：《Chinese Geographical Science》2010年第5期450-460,共11页中国地理科学（英文版）

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)

摘　　要：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.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 con- sumption 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.

关 键 词：consumption space STRATIFICATION shopping mail social construction social identity symbolic consumption 

分 类 号：TU247.2[建筑科学—建筑设计及理论] F126.1[经济管理—世界经济]