Author(s)

Hanlu Wang, Hao Hu, Yi Yu^*

College of Economics and Management, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China.

Marriage expenditure behavior is not only an economic behavior, but also with its social meaning, which can be easily affected by mind of rivalry. Based on Buck’s survey data of Chinese farmers during 1929-1933, this paper has analyzed the connection between the behavior of “keeping-up with the Joneses” and mind of rivalry, as well as the relationship between individual behavior and social atmosphere of “keeping-up with the Joneses”. Through innovatively constructing the measurable index of the behavior of “keeping-up with the Joneses”, this paper has also quantitatively analyzed the impact of income gap and credit availability on the atmosphere of “keeping-up with the Joneses”, and its effect on pushing up the marriage expenditure. The empirical results indicate that economic factors, such as income gap and credit availability, will have significant influence on the atmosphere of “keeping-up with the Joneses”. With large income gap and deficient financing channels, rural households will decrease the degree of their individual behavior of “keeping-up with the Joneses”, which will further weaken the whole social atmosphere of “keeping-up with the Joneses”; otherwise, with small income gap and sufficient financing channels, the social atmosphere will be strengthened. At the same time, through forming social pressure, individual mind of rivalry may also be strengthened, pushing up the final marriage expenditure.

Marriage Expenditure, Mind of Rivalry, “Keeping-Up with the Joneses” Atmosphere, Income Gap, Credit Availability

Wang, H. , Hu, H. and Yu, Y. (2019) Research on the Issue of the Individual Behavior and Social Atmosphere of “Keeping-Up with the Joneses” and Rural Households’ Marriage Expenditure: An Analysis Based on Buck’s Survey Data of Chinese Farmers during 1929-1933. Open Journal of Social Sciences, 7, 217-227. doi: 10.4236/jss.2019.77020.