Patterns of Middle Class Consumption in India and China

Patterns of Middle Class Consumption in India and China explores the complex history and sociology of the middle class from a comparative perspective. It has papers written by sociologists, anthropologists and political scientists rather than economists, so the emphasis is on cultural shifts rather than economic statistics.The major contribution of this volume is that these two emerging powers of Asia are not, as is usual, compared to the West, but with each other. Considering that these two societies have so much in common in scale, civilization history and as emerging economies, the book is timely. The focus of the book is on the social and political implications of the new consumption patterns among the middle classes of India and China in the context of economic growth, liberalization of markets and globalization. Reflecting upon and critically engaging with the traditional sociological notions on which definitions of the middle class have been based, the book analyzes the intermingling of these notions with new attitudes in the wake of the consumer revolution. More specifically, an entire gamut of aspects of the consumer culture have been explored-tourism, leisure activities and the entertainment industry (art, Karaoke and soap operas)—as well as the consumption of experiences through these. It is argued that these phenomena have particular Indian and Chinese incarnations, which need to be analyzed in a manner that does not privilege a limited western experience of globalization. With its fresh insights and perspectives, the book will appeal to students of anthropology, sociology, political science, media studies and cultural studies. It will also be useful for market research professionals.

Table of Contents:
Introduction Why Should We Vote? The Indian Middle Class and the Functioning of the World`s Largest Democracy Rewriting the Code: Software Professionals and the Reconstitution of Indian Middle Class Identity The Indian Corporate Hospitals: Touching Middle Class Lives Chinese Middle Class: Reality or Illusion? Power of Knowledge: The Imaginary Formation of the Chinese Middle Stratum in an Era of Growth and Stability A Requiem for Songpan, or Once More about China`s Civilizing Mission History and Heritage Woven in the New Urban Fabric: The Changing Landscape of Delhi`s `First City`, 1995-2005 Eat, Drink, and Sing, and be Modern and Global: Food, Karaoke and Middle Class Consumers in China Transnational and Transcultural Circulation and Consumption of East Asian Television Drama Sex, Television, and the Middle Class in China Aspirational Weddings: The Bridal Magazine and the Canons of `Decent Marriage` Yeh Dil Maange More . . .Television and Consumer Choices in a Global City Consuming Art in Middle Class China Index