베이징시 문화소비의 추세와 소득계층별 특징 연구

Abstract

Since ‘Reform and Opening’ policy, China has obtained a rapid economic progress. It became impossible for China to stick to ‘attraction of foreign capital’ and ‘export-led growth’ methods due to Global economic crisis in 2008. As of 2008, China converted its growth method to ‘domestic demand extension.’ In the 12th five-year development plan (12.5 Gyuhoek, 2011-2015) period, Chinese government has emphasized ‘qualitative development’ focused on ‘common wealth’ instead of ‘national wealth’ which was focused in the past. Remarkable economic growth of China brought a rapid raise of national income level, backed up an expenditure increase, and led change of consumption structure. Despite the dazzling uprise of China as a global factory to a global consumption market, there exist huge gaps of income and consumption levels between city and country, among local areas, and income brackets in the same area. As cultural consumption is made depending on the personal taste, it varies by personal income and locality. Target of this study is the city of Beijing. Shanghai and Guangzhou are also representative consumption cities of China, but they had a big study on cultural consumption by localities without any study by income brackets. Therefore, city of Beijing is selected for its political and cultural tradition, and study has been made on change of cultural consumption structure by income brackets and characteristics of cultural consumption. In addition, prediction was made on consumption structure trend of urban resident in Beijing by means of in-depth interview. Summary of the study is as follows; First, consumption structure of citizen of Beijing switched over from necessity consumption for living to enjoyment consumption for quality life. Among overall consumption structure, expenditure ratio of survival consumption except housing cost is decreasing, but expenditure ratio of development and enjoyment consumption is increasing. Second, income brackets of Beijing showed distinctive characteristics in culture consumption structure. In other words, exceeding point of culture and entertainment service cost over education cost, which had covered the biggest ratio of the culture consumption, varied in each income bracket. The higher was the income bracket, the earlier culture and entertainment service cost exceed education cost. But after 2014, education expenditure ratio in income brackets below middle has leaped, and their culture and entertainment service cost has rapidly diminished. Especially, the lower was the income bracket, the bigger was the culture consumption change. City government of Beijing played a leading role in rapid growth of culture industries starting various culture industry policies. In result, culture and entertainment service cost of Beijing citizen has expanded. But as in case education cost depends on the existence of children in learning, there shall be differences of some range in culture consumption. Third, in the midst of rapid growth of education consumption market of China, education consumption of Beijing citizen has been diversified. Income increase, rapid growth of early-education industries and online education industries in Beijing has effected on the education consumption. Gap between the income brackets in education consumption was tiny. Difference of education cost per capita between the highest and lowest income brackets was only 1.3 in the year of 2015. Compared with the difference in culture and entertainment service cost of 7.8, it is insignificant. On the other hand, among subsections, adult education cost showed big difference between the income brackets. Difference of adult education cost between the highest and lowest income brackets was 8.1 in 2014. This was verified in the in-depth interviews, and adult education expenditure of interviewees from the lower the income brackets was insignificant. This shows the income level plays an important role in expenditure of adult education cost. On the contrary, costs on private educational institutes between the different income brackets are gradually decreasing. No difference was detected in costs on private educational institutes between the high and low income brackets in 2014. Since over 90% of the youth residing in major cities of China attend at private institutes, it is inferred that costs on private educational institutes is generalized in every income bracket with children in China. Education expenditure of Beijing citizen shows periodic feature. First, for every income brackets except the highest, education cost per capita has dramatically dropped between 2006 and 2008. Second, the lower the income level, was the decrease rate big since 2008. For lower income brackets, period that education cost constantly increased was short. Third, expending practice among education cost started to change since 2011 for higher income bracket and since 2012 for other income brackets. In other words, although disposable income per capita and culture consumption constantly increased, absolute education cost started to decrease. Decrease of an absolute education cost was caused by drop of population in learning, completion of children’s education, increase of no-kid families. Also with on-line education market extending, more families are using this relatively reasonable cheap education. Additional verification of feature of Beijing citizen’s education consumption was made through in-depth interview. Most of all, existence of children in learning is the biggest variable among the education consumption. When a family has a child in learning, child education covered most of the education cost, with adult education otherwise. For interviewee with their child education completed, child education cost moved to culture and entertainment service consumption, especially to travel cost. Fourth, with culture and entertainment goods equipped, Beijing citizens can have various education consumption and culture and entertainment service consumption, and improve their quality of life. As internet was supplied into Beijing city and the residents got computers, tablet PCs, and mobile phones, environment for various on-line education became available. Movies or dramas, music became enjoyable. Quantity of mobile phone used by Beijing citizens is rapidly increasing. Their use of mobile phone shows few difference by income bracket and mobile phone has already settled as a necessity. Residents holding a computer per 100 families reached the saturation point in an earlier time for higher income brackets. By means of internet connection via computer and mobile phone, they’re doing various consumption activities such as e-commerce, e-learning, e-book purchase. Especially, Beijing citizens’ use of smart phones substitutes functions of other culture and entertainment equipments. Since 2011, growth rate of culture and entertainment equipment consumption is higher for lower income brackets than higher income brackets. That’s because most of the higher income families already facilitated culture and entertainment equipments and their consumption was relatively low. Fifth, main cause of sore of culture and entertainment service consumption is increase of travel consumption, which is due to high economic growth, improvement of traffic infrastructure and increased cars, and prolonged leisure time through introduction of the five-day work week and payed vacation. In addition, Chinese government’s tourism policy gave its people’s overseas trip more freedom. As of 2008, 137 countries were made available for departure, and Chinese can travel in almost every country. In recent years, outbound-travel times per year of Beijing citizen also tend to increase. Interviewees with an experience of travel overseas answered that they traveled once or twice a year, or 5 to 6 times a year for more. Now, overseas travel is not a special consumption but a necessary consumption for Beijing citizen. Besides, there were many more public culture organizations and programs in Beijing. They can enjoy various performances, and Beijing citizen’s cinema and animation-related has also constantly increased. Culture and entertainment service cost showed the biggest gap between income brackets in Beijing citizen’s culture consumption. Since 2008, the lower the income bracket showed bigger growth in culture and entertainment service cost. Perspectives for Beijing city’s culture consumption are as follows; First, the citizen’s culture consumption seems to increase constantly. Beijing is leading the citizen’s culture consumption, introducing concerned policy for the first time among the nation’s cities. Beijing citizen’s strong desire for culture consumption was also witnessed through in-depth interview. On the background, their culture consumption seems to be accelerated. Second, Beijing citizen’s travel consumption will be vital. In particular, outbound travel will increase more than inbound travel. Travel consumption will grow regardless of income bracket. According to the statistics, culture and entertainment service consumption, which covers the biggest portion of travel consumption, showed bigger growth for low income brackets than high income brackets. Travel consumption is soaring in low income brackets. Though there should exist qualitative and quantitative gap by income level in travel consumption, consumption coupling will be distinctive in travel consumption. This prospective was verified through in-depth interviews that regardless of their income level, interviewees hoped for travel consumption in case of income increase. Also in the nation’s research reports, 82.3% of Beijing citizen hoped the most for travel consumption in case of income increase. Third, Beijing citizen’s child education cost will be converted to travel consumption after completion of child education. As number of school children dropped in Beijing, elementary, middle, and high school graduates are decreasing, and university graduates are increasing steadily. Though consumption of child education cost will be prolonged, considering Beijing citizen’s high hope for travel consumption after completion of child education, travel consumption is expected to increase in the future. Adult education cost among education consumption is expected to have bigger gap by income bracket. While gap of general education consumption between high income bracket and low income bracket is trivial, there’s huge difference in adult education cost. Little or no adult education cost consumption was confirmed for low income brackets through in-depth interview. Income plays a crucial variable in Beijing citizen’s adult education cost consumption. Currently, level of Beijing citizen’s culture consumption is remarkably low compared with that of advanced countries. But with urban residents’ income growth, Beijing city government’s culture industry policy, culture consumption promotion policy, improved education level, and enhanced awareness for culture, culture consumption will be accelerated more. Distinctive gap and features by income bracket shown in culture consumption will last meanwhile in Beijing entering transitional period of culture consumption.