CNReviews has a great post up explicating the new meanings of an old socialist term: xiaozi – 小资.
When I saw the characters I immediately thought "petty bourgeois." And that is the first part of the discussion. But, as poster Elliot Ng points out, the term now does not have the old Marxist implications. He makes an apt point:
…The original “petty bourgeoisie” were the merchant, shopkeeper, small business owners.
But today’s xiaozi are not defined about how they make money, but
how the spend it. The term, once used to mark those on the wrong side
of the revolution, has now been co-opted by popular culture to mean
something entirely different and not entirely negative.
It's all about consumption and the cultural dynamics and identity implications of consumption. Interesting, too, how it is not necessarily a negative thing…
He also comes up with a list of twenty questions to ask to see if you or your friends are xiaozi, in the contemporary Chinese meaning of the term. It's fun and you can play at home! Here are the first ten:
1. Are they jaded about Chinese national events, and resist being defined by “official” and mainstream culture?
2. Do they like to sit in cafes? Do they like to drink coffee?
3. Do they appreciate red wine (and really appreciate it, not mix it with Coke)?
4. Do they crave outbound travel? Do they want to visit Tibet?
5. Are they focused on self-expression through fashion? Do they look
down on people who spend money on brands without true appreciation of
fashion?
6. Do they sometimes have a sense of being somehow different from the
rest of society? That they are seeking something that cannot be found?
7. Do they use their English name, even with other Chinese people?
8. Do they like to socialize with foreigners? Do they like to date foreigners?
9. Are they picky in their love life? Do they feel that most
traditional members of the opposite sex don’t understand their love of
life, and their need for creative self-definition? Attitude of “if I’m
not in love, I’d rather die”
10. Do they like foreign hobbies like Yoga? or Salza dancing?
The Useless Tree 
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