SOC 2112 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Conspicuous Leisure, Conspicuous Consumption, Populism

• School: University of Ottawa
• Department: Sociology
• Course: SOC 2112
• Professor: William Flynn

Document Summary

Veblen was a norwegian-american economic/cultural theorist who wrote the theory of the leisure. He wanted economists to account for the social and cultural causes and effects of economic changes. He said that the lower classes were not out to overthrow the upper classes but rather strived to climb up and be a part of it. He examined the relationship between economics and consumption. Evolutionary theory stated that the emergence of leisure was through historical processes. The leisure class (the wealthiest) is at the top of the social structure in terms of prestige. Its lifestyle and standards provide the norm of taste for the community. The observance of these standards becomes a prerogative upon all classes lower down on the scale. The most imperative is the requirement of abstention from productive work. Labour/work for wages is associated with subjection and servility serving others. There is a repugnance and ceremonial un-cleanliness to physical labour and especially with menial labour .