Performing practical connoisseurship: High-end supermarkets and distinctive consumption in urban China

• In Event: 20203 - Discerning Consumers across Race, Class, and Moral Divides

Abstract

Distinctive consumption practices can work to draw cultural and social boundaries, and what is considered “distinctive” or “good taste” evolves over time and varies across different contexts. In contemporary China, shopping at high-end supermarkets has emerged as a distinctive consumption practice. This study examines the preferences of middle-class consumers for high-end supermarkets to reveal the underlying logics of middle-class consumption in China. Drawing on 35 in-depth interviews with high-end supermarket consumers and 20 participant observations at high-end supermarkets, I find that these middle-class consumers prioritize novelty, authenticity, and practicality in their food choices. I argue that they perform what I call “practical connoisseurship” through food consumption. They assert their status as real connoisseurs by demonstrating a willingness to explore new foods, employing a trial-and-error approach to discovering good food, and showcasing their embodied knowledge of appreciating authentic food. At the same time, they emphasize practicality by focusing on cost-effectiveness, a commitment to quality, and resistance to market manipulation. Unlike their Western counterparts, who often experience a stronger ideological tension between distinction and egalitarian values. These Chinese middle-class consumers need to navigate the tension between being distinctive and appropriate/pragmatic. Performing practical connoisseurship helps them display cultural sophistication while avoiding being perceived as paying a “stupid tax” for exclusive consumption.

Author

• Jiayu Huang, Boston College