The Effects of Culture on Women’s Opinions and Consumption Values



The
Effects of Culture on Women’s Opinions and Consumption Values


for both
Hedonic and Utilitarian
Products in China and Taiwan


 


Tsai-Ju Liao
and Lien-Ti Bei,
National Chengchi
University
, Taiwan, and Kealoha Widdows, Wabash College


 


Abstract


Women
in China and Taiwan
confront conflicting value systems as a result of a long tradition of Confucian
philosophy, the modern and powerful influence of Western culture, and the
influence of powerful domestic political forces.  This study explores how these conflicting
value systems influence women’s opinions and attitudes toward gender roles and
examines how these gender-role assessments affect their consumption values of
hedonic versus utilitarian products across the two Chinese societies.  The study uses survey results from China and
Taiwan in 1997 to determine how women’s attitudes towards themselves and their
environment affected their purchasing decisions   The results of regression analysis show that
women in these two Chinese societies have different opinions of their own
independence and the degree of their responsibility toward family and the
larger society.  These attitudes are then
related to the instrumental,, aesthetic, family, and
patriotic consumption values in the purchases of a hedonic good versus a utilitarian
one.