Abstract

Theories of the sociology of consumption tend to be Western-based and they are embedded in a sociocultural context. This article aims to explore how Veblen’s status-seeking model and Bourdieu’s concepts of cultural capital and habitus manifest themselves in post-socialist China. I also provide explanations for these nuances and, building on Eckhardt et al. (2015)’s work, I identify variations of conspicuous consumption in China. Based on my research, the Chinese upper middle class display “conspicuous frugality” and “unostentatious conspicuous consumption” patterns because of Chinese traditional culture. Furthermore, I also adapt ideas from Üstüner and Holt (2010) and explore how cultural capital and habitus work differently in China than in Bourdieu’s model. In contrast to Holt (1997), high cultural capital consumers in China do not reject materialism. Additionally, unlike Bourdieu’s arguments, Chinese class fractions distinguish themselves from others through conscious calculation rather than habitus.