Shanghai's high- and middle-income earners appear to be much
more open to non-traditional living arrangements than their
compatriots, according to a recent survey.
The survey of 1,374 high- and middle-income earners aged between
20 and 50 living in Shanghai and nine other major cities showed
that 50.75 percent of the Shanghai respondents considered single
living to be fashionable, slightly higher than the national average
of 50 percent.
In addition, 26.12 percent of the Shanghai respondents said they
would like to be part of a "weekend couple," an arrangement under
which a wife and husband live together only on weekends. The
national average was 17.98 percent.
Over 32 percent of the Shanghai respondents said they accepted
the idea of "sunset love," or love between the elderly. That figure
is much higher than the national average of 24.96 percent.
Gu Xiaoming, a professor from Fudan University, said the results
were not surprising. "Shanghai people are very open to new things
and like trying new lifestyles. "
As more young and better-off people move to the city looking to
take advantage of its openness and quick tempo, the number of
faddists should grow, he added.
"It is very likely that some new lifestyles will emerge in
Shanghai first and spread to other cities," Gu said.
The poll, conducted by the Horizon Research Consultancy Group
and the Fashion Group, defines the high- and middle-income earning
segment of Shanghai and other first-tier cities as people who earn
at least 3,000 yuan (US$384) a month. Respondents in second-tier
cities earned at least 1,800 yuan (US$230) a month.
Shanghai people also appear to have different ideas about what
constitutes a fashionable occupation, according to the survey.
Over 35 percent of the Shanghai respondents said modeling is the
most fashionable occupation. They said public servants and doctors
are the least fashionable.
"Shanghai is a big show place. It is a very dense city, so
faddists certainly want to showcase themselves," Gu said.
Over 10 percent of the people polled around the country
described working as a professional manager as fashionable. Only
1.49 percent of the Shanghai polled said working as a manager is
fashionable.
Gu said that because so many Shanghai people are affluent and
hedonistic, people in that city tend to think that working as a
professional manager is too tough to be enjoyable, much less
fashionable.
The professor urged Shanghai people to be less superficial and
prone to fads. Shanghai people should choose their fashions
according to their own culture, rather than copying other cities
abroad, he said.
"Even though Shanghai people can afford to live fashionable
lifestyles, they do not contribute to the development of their own
culture," Gu said.
(China Daily December 27, 2006)