The Study Of Shanghai Citizens’ Consumption Psychology In1920s And1930s

The three enterprises in Shanghai,including Britain and the United States company in China, Yitobacco companies and British American Tobacco Shanghai cigarette factory among the British AmericanTobacco Company (BAT)in China,had gone through the process of change from the rise, growth,prosperity, crisis, recovery, shrink to exit in1920s and1930s. With various categories, attractingcigarette advertisings and good product sales in BAT, however, sales in Shanghai largely differed from thenational sales. Therefore, it showed the complexities of Shanghai citizens’ consumption psychology.There were both "secular consumerism ideology" and "nationalism consume culture "in the era ofShanghai Society. The former reflected in simple and stylish concept of consumption, entertainment andleisure lifestyle and status identification of superior people in Shanghai citizens. While the latter wasembodied in the concept of "consumer Chinese goods, boycott foreign goods" and constantly strengthenedthe "homegrown" attribute of the product in Shanghai citizens, which was deeply effected by HomegrownProducts Movement ".These two forces had been developing during these periods. With double-prongedattack, they together constructed the outside consumption environment of Shanghai citizens’ consumptionpsychology.The third chapter in this paper is also the main part of the proof. Because of "consumption psychologyitself recessive characteristics and the limited and poor historical materials directly recorded, it’s arrangedfor qualitative research by means of a comprehensive analysis of the Shanghai citizens’ consumptionboycott. Based on detailed historical materials, we choose students, workers and national capitalists suchrelatively representative classes among Shanghai citizens as the main research objects. It’s focused on theirconsumption boycott of BAT during "May30th movement" and "BAT Shanghai cigarette factory strike in1927". Furthermore, we do a comparative study with contemporary domestic other parts.It has confirmedme in my early judgement that Shanghai citizens’ consumption psychology was moderate nationalism.Instead of the radical ethnocentrism of other regions, Shanghai citizens in dual consumption environmentof "consumerism" and "nationalism’", had wisely found out the balance between them and then rationallypracticed the consumption psychology of moderate nationism.The last chapter of the article is a further analysis of the reason why Shanghai citizens adopted"protracted war" under the moderate nationalist consumption psychology. Firstly, external consumptionenvironment laid the dual emotional tone for Shanghai citizens’ consumption psychology: not only to enjoy the "consumerism", but also the preservation of "patriotism". Secondly, the dualism of Shanghairesidents’ personality, namely the combination of the traditional Chinese "Face-assertion", weaktemperament of the people of south area of Yangzi River and modern smart businessman temperament,helped them to find out the way of a middle course. Thirdly, under the disadvantageous circumstance,BAT had a good knowledge of the importance of psychological tactics of cigarette marketing. As a result,it took various "anti-boycott" measures, which was involved in policy, diplomacy, military, economy,culture and society. Last but not the least, the Nanjing national government and the local Shanghaigovernment also seized the opportunity to take part in the "psychological warfare" between Shanghaicitizens and the BAT products by advocating "No Smoking Movement" and "Save Movement "andregulating the tobacco tax. It was not only for their own interests, but also it undoubtedly played aregulating role in the Shanghai citizens’ consumption psychology.In1920s and1930s, based on the realistic consumption environment and the interaction of multistakeholder groups, the citizens of Shanghai found out the moderate nationalist consumption psychologyand rationally and steadily practiced the sound, which was different from other regions.The rationalconsumption spirit, should be worthy of respect and reference.