- Are they jaded about Chinese national events, and resist being defined by “official” and mainstream culture?
- Do they like to sit in cafes? Do they like to drink coffee?
- Do they appreciate red wine (and really appreciate it, not mix it with Coke)?
- Do they crave outbound travel? Do they want to visit Tibet?
- Are they focused on self-expression through fashion? Do they look down on people who spend money on brands without true appreciation of fashion?
- Do they sometimes have a sense of being somehow different from the rest of society? That they are seeking something that cannot be found?
- Do they use their English name, even with other Chinese people?
- Do they like to socialize with foreigners? Do they like to date foreigners?
- Are they picky in their love life? Do they feel that most traditional members of the opposite sex don’t understand their love of life, and their need for creative self-definition? Attitude of “if I’m not in love, I’d rather die”
- Do they like foreign hobbies like Yoga? or Salza dancing?
- Do they known multiple languages? Do they have good scores on TOEFL, GRE, and other foreign placement tests?
- Do they like popular intellectual Western literature like Italo Calvino or Jorge Luis Borges?
- Do they like Western popular music, electronica or jazz?
- Do they tend to watch Western TV shows and like to complain about the low quality of Chinese media?
- Are they Web-savvy? Do they like Western Web 2.0 sites and the more clean Western aesthetic of Web design?
- Do they like all things Apple Computer?
- Do they like blocked Western Websites like Twitter and Facebook?
- Do they use Google, not Baidu?
- Do they use MSN messenger or Skype, but not QQ?
- Do they visit Douban, Onlylady or Rayli.com.cn?
- 上一篇： 没有了 下一篇： 没有了
Are you or your Chinese friends 小资 (xiaozi)? (quiz)
2010年05月06日 17:52:07
分类：未分类
The slang term 小资（xiao zi) came up over dinner with my friends
Min and Kai. I was discussing a Website I liked, and Min
responded, “I don’t like that site. It’s too 小资.” Well, I had
never heard the term. What is it? Min responded: “I don’t know
how to translate it. People who are xiao zi like Western things,
like to drink coffee at cafes…Shanghai is a very 小资.”
Huh? Well,
down the rabbit hole I went to seek to understand this concept.
(Inspired by china/divide’s recent post with lots of eye candy, I thought I’d posts some attractive pictures evocative of the xiao zi concept.)
Where did this term come from? Originally, Karl Marx
The term is most directly translated as “petty” (Chinese) as in “petty bourgeoisie.” (Chinese) I shared with my friends that the term Petty Bourgeoisie has specific meaning in the Marxist conception of class, which through class struggle drives the progressive (dialectic materialist) development of history. The original “petty bourgeoisie” were the merchant, shopkeeper, small business owners.
But today’s xiaozi are not defined about how they make money, but how the spend it. The term, once used to mark those on the wrong side of the revolution, has now been co-opted by popular culture to mean something entirely different and not entirely negative.
My attempt at a definition
After consulting my friends and Twitter (thanks taweili!) Here’s my attempt at a definition:
小资 (Xiao Zi) – people who enjoy fashion, brands, hobbies, and free thinking that is inspired by Western commercial and artistic culture. Similar to “yuppies” in the sense of youthful materialism, the term also carries a overtones of the creative, free-thinking state of being “hipsters.” However, this creativity and free-thinking is only within the bounds of what is socially acceptable within the xiaozi norm. There are many positive attributes of Xiaozi. To some it is a put-down. But to others, it is a compliment. Still others might use the term in a self-deprecating way to describe themselves.
What do you think about this definition? Agree? or disagree?
The best source I found was on Baidu’s wikipedia product called Baike. Their article on xiaozi here.
Quiz: Here’s 20 questions to determine if you or your Chinese friend is Xiaozi
《财经网》网友：
|
Your concept of Xiao Zi is amusing, but on the mark. The Chinese Capuccino Crowd? But here is the thing: To me, even the Xiao Zi remain quintessentially very Chinese, and that is what I love about them. And that is what I tell my Chinese friends: You don’t need all that foreign fashion. You have so much more interesting Chinese fashion design.
The two young ladies you show as examples, are beautiful. Call them my Chinese Dream Girl, if you will. But to me, there is nothing foreign in their deportment and style. Their wardrobe and accessories do not look like anything I see in Europe. Their wardrobe and style is very Chinese! Correct me if I am wrong, I don’t think they are wearing anything of foreign design. Contrast that with the baby-doll and school girl look so many young Japanese women emulate.
Chrisinguam
The two young ladies you show as examples, are beautiful. Call them my Chinese Dream Girl, if you will. But to me, there is nothing foreign in their deportment and style. Their wardrobe and accessories do not look like anything I see in Europe. Their wardrobe and style is very Chinese! Correct me if I am wrong, I don’t think they are wearing anything of foreign design. Contrast that with the baby-doll and school girl look so many young Japanese women emulate.
Chrisinguam
2010-06-12 16:26:49
我也说两句：
[所发表点评仅代表网友个人观点，不代表《财经网》观点]
名家简介
Elliott Ng简介：
Elliott Ng ，定居美国硅谷，哈佛商学院MBA，哈佛大学社会学学士，曾就职于麦肯锡，任微软产品经理。十六年以上网络互动营销经验，Uptake.com投资人，Intuit公司互动营销主管，参与创立Loyalty Matrix公司，客户包括苹果公司，洛杉矶时报，Starwood酒店集团等。Elliott Ng received an MBA from Harvard Business School,a BA in Social Studies from Harvard University.He is a founding seed investor of UpTake.com,he has worked at McKinsey & Company, and was a product manager at Microsoft Corporation.
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