SOCI 1127 Lecture Notes - Thorstein Veblen, Conspicuous Consumption, Moodle
Document Summary
Veblen"s account of the leisure class looks at such a group the 19th century leisure class- who spent great amounts of wealth maintaining and showing off their leisure. The theory of the leisure class (also known as the theory of conspicuous. Veblen believed that individuals and social groups are driven to attain social status there are biological and physical pressures to consume, and that it is important to show what we consume. Social status referes to ones social position(occupation) and amount of respect and prestige bestowed on that position by others. We measure social status in germs of respect and prestige from others (peer group etc) In every stage of human existence there have been groups of people who have been excluded from inferior occupations. In every society occupations are ranked according to their perceived functional value. Society has gone through the following stages of evolutionary progress:
