Analysis on the Religious Consumption Expenditure of Farmers and Herdsmen in the Midland of Tibet

Aims: To estimate the market scale and characteristics of religious consumption in rural community in Tibet.
Place and Duration of Study: This study was conducted in 2012 in rural community in the Midland of Tibet.
Methodology: The present study is an applied research. Using field method and questionnaire, the data was collected from the desired sample, and it was later analyzed. In order to collect required data, 36 questions were designed in the questionnaire and were analyzed using ranking scale. The validity of the questionnaire was examined and confirmed both in terms of content validity and face validity. For data analysis, both descriptive and inferential statistics were used. Descriptive statistics were used for complementary analysis of the results. The methodology involved administering a questionnaire with structured and open-ended questions to informants in several communities who are conductors of the religious consumption and religious activities in the Midland of Tibet.
Results: The following constitute incredible market to the annual total expenditure of religious consumption: consumption of religious items (ï¿¥400~600), Daily consumption (ï¿¥800~1000), Seasonal consumption(ï¿¥700~900), Unexpected consumption(ï¿¥1000~1500), alms giving to the professional religious staff(ï¿¥800~1200). The total expenditure of religious consumption is about ï¿¥3500~5000. The market scale of the above-mentioned religious items is about 200~300 million yuan in Tibet.
Conclusion: Religious consumption characteristic can be concluded in Tibet. The religious services is bought with cash payment, instead of other exchange patterns. The daily and seasonal consumptions are limited by budget, obey the “fixed-price of community market” and lack of elasticity. The unexpected consumption is the guidance of religious authority without controllable budget. The marginal benefit of religious consumption never declined and new consumer substitutes have appeared. The consumption level has a positive correlation with income level.