SOC 202 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Thorstein Veblen, Conspicuous Leisure, Ferrari California
Document Summary
Economist, thinker and writer from the late 1800"s to early 1900"s us. Veblen saw a shift in ethos, where people enjoyed shopping and consuming more. He argues that we see the rise of three things. He argues that this is a rise of a luxury class. The idea of old money vs. new money. Shopping offered a way for old money to distinguish themselves as old money. Conspicuous shopping is highlighting how far removed you are from work. Conspicuous consumption means to consume commodities for their value then their usefulness. I. e. buying a ferrari california for its value. It removes you from work and highlights the money you have. Conspicuous waste the idea that people of a certain class feel entitled to waste their resources as well as natural resources. I. e. a chiffon/crocodile skin t-shirt that costs ,000 after taxes. Conspicuous leisure would often be considered as high profile tourist pursuits.
