HPED 3630 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: The Leisure Society, Thorstein Veblen, Social Evolution
9 Feb 2020
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Leisure and economic theory: thorstein veblen (1857-1929, american economist and sociologist, best known for the theory of the leisure class. Veblen"s leisure theory: status is central to theory of leisure class, begins with gendered labour and mate guarding. Invidious comparison the comparison of people with a view to rating and grading them in respect to relative worth. Leisure and class: upper class disdains labour, must be busied with something (priesthood, government, sport etc. , the useless becomes celebrated, predatory, maintain class position and guard your status, the non-essential becomes essential. Conspicuous consumption: to accumulate material possessions that are not useful to deal with invidious comparison, valuable goods is a means of reputability to the gentleman of leisure. Conspicuous waste and leisure: conspicuous waste demonstration of waste as invidious comparison, conspicuous leisure activity or behaviour of little or non-essential as demonstration of invidious comparison.
