GENDER STEREOTYPES IN GIFT PURCHASING AND GIVING IN THE CHINESE CONTEXT

Han Yan

Joyce Zhou

Jun Yu

Emporia State University

ABSTRACT

This research explores gender stereotypes that existed in gift purchasing and giving

within the Chinese context. A qualitative approach combined with a projective method was

adopted to examine the narrative data collected. All the respondents for this research are Chinese

female consumers, who provide a unique perspective to study gender stereotypes. Through

interpreting the narrative story and sentence completion questions collected from the respondents,

cultural values and gender stereotypes indicated by the data were analyzed. Then the research

explores gender differences, masculinity, and femininity in gift purchasing and giving behavior

based on the same cultural values—collectivism, high context, and masculinity—embodied by both

genders.