The Emerging of Leisure Sports and The Emerging of Middle-class Chinese in Contemporary China He Gong
Curtin University, Western Australia
Abstract
This paper will examine the emerging phenomenon of urban middle-class Chinese^s leisure sports consumption in Contemporary China. Based on in-depth interviews through ^WeChat^, theoretical framework. The author proposed the following arguments: firstly, Leisure sports have established an economic space by which contemporary China signals and engages with rising living standards. with the expanding number of urban middle-class playing and consuming in leisure sports markets, and it witnesses the growth of leisure sports economy but it also raise issue of sustainability. Secondly, leisure sports consumption become a group of new formats of physical exercises which are not only for recreative purposes but providing an admirable lifestyle by urban middle-class Chinese. Finally, consumption in leisure sports provide a growing psychological escape for a large portion of urban middle-class. political laggard is one of the main reasons for choosing leisure sports. Public sphere has been established with increasing environmental deterioration, consumer rights protections and leisure sports equality participation issues. Meanwhile, activities such as purchasing luxury sports goods, registering in fancy leisure sports clubs and participating money-oriented leisure sports provide a certain ^freedom^ for the urbanite Chinese in contrast to daily routine and work, and leisure sports in general is therefore an avenue by which the consumer seeks temporary release from constraints associated with Chinese social class hierarchy and obligations.
