Chinese glocalization – a study of intergenerational residence in urban China

Purpose – This paper aims to explore the way in which Chinese consumers integrate both global culture and local culture through the change of intergenerational residence in urban China. Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected by semi‐structured interviews of 15 families from three cities in south China. All interview tapes were transcribed. A hermeneutic process is used to analyze the verbal context. Findings – There is a new trend of intergenerational residence in urban China, living apart but close. Living apart is a result of equalization between generations in socio‐political power, whereas living close is a way for traditional value adapting to global environments. Further analysis suggests that the assimilation of socio‐political values rooted in individualistic cultures, unexpectedly, is for the purpose of collective goodness, and the performance of traditional moral values is shifting from the compulsory rule based on traditional social norms to the spontaneous rule based on human demand. Research limitations/implications – These findings capture the richness of Chinese dialectical way of “glocalization,” which retains basic (often positive) elements of opposing perspectives by seeking a middle way. Such findings would be valuable for global marketers trying to enter the Chinese market. Originality/value – This paper answers the question of how Chinese consumers accept the competitive advantages of global culture and at the same time keep the positive distinctiveness of the heritage culture.