ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces the macro debate on consumption sector cleavage and the micro debate on the meaning of home and home ownership. It focuses on the strength of two theoretical strands: the theory of culture and distinction by Pierre Bourdieu and the debate on social economics of M. Granovetter. Hong Kong sociologists have argued for sometime about placing special emphasis on the role of the family and its network of relationship in social analyses. The debate on consumption sector cleavage stems from a deep-rooted dissatisfaction with Marxist conception of social relationship based almost entirely on the sphere of production. When theorists conceptualize social change and structure into a framework, they aim at more than simply explaining social change within their own society. The focus on consumption sector cleavage, social class and political attitude seems to assume that there is a degree of homogeneity amongst homeowners of the way they view home.
