Florida State University Libraries
2016
Conspicuous Consumption
D'Jenaiya Bowser and Srikant Manchiraju
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ConspiCuous Consumption
Research by: D’Jenaiya Bowser, College of Communication and Information
Mentoring Professor: Srikant Manchiraju, College of Human Sciences
CRitiques of ConspiCuous Consumption
ABstRACt
Consumerism has been as much a part of human history as
bartering and trade. Historically, many only partook in consumption
for the sake of survival. Only the richest could afford to consume for
leisure. For this reason, luxury consumption, or consumption of
excess, was always a sign of wealth. With the coming of the industrial
revolution came a new ideal, wealth for the masses. More people had
more money in addition to having more time to spend it.
Thorstein Veblen was the first to coin the term “Conspicuous
Consumption” in order to describe this phenomenon. In his famous
1899 book “The Theory of the Leisure Class”, he gives this idea life,
and from there it has become a commonality in consumer culture.
Many scholars have both elaborated on and critiqued Veblen’s ideas
over the past century. Despite its faults, the theory of conspicuous
consumption remains critical in explaining consumer behavior.
While the theory of conspicuous consumption explains a
particular aspect of consumer behavior, it does not encompass every possible
explanation for this sort of consumption. For example, it does not account for
the fact that status and good esteem amongst colleagues can be
accomplished by other means, like good personality traits. It also does not
account for the fact that status consumption may or may not be conspicuous.
Overall, the idea of conspicuous consumption seems to neglect the idea of
intent in many of its applications.
WhAt is ConspiCuous Consumption?
ConspiCuous Consumption todAy
Conspicuous consumption in practice has evolved from its
former model. Whereas previously, conspicuous consumption was done to
signal wealth, it is now typically seen as a sign of low class and/ or
classlessness by the wealthy. It is also overwhelmingly seen as a wasteful
form of consumption. In terms of conveying status, the idea of
inconspicuous consumption has come about, or using more subtle signals to
display wealth, such as: An absence of logos but a particular pattern that
only those “in the know” will recognize. In this way, those wishing to
distinguish themselves can do so in a different manner than those “lower”
than them. Despite this, people still elect to consume conspicuously, but the
original theory has taken on a life of its own.
Conspicuous consumption can be described as the
ostentatious display of wealth in order to gain status. It is when
something that is deemed luxurious is purchased to “show off” to
others and signal the wealth of the purchaser.
methods
The purpose of this research project was to gather
information to be presented in an academic textbook entitled “The
Fashion Business Reader”. For the chapter that I will write on
conspicuous consumption, I reviewed many articles and journals
already written on the subject, and analyzed the texts for the most
relevant information on the matter. I then compiled the information
and will present it in the chapter.
RefeRenCes
Belk, Russell W, Eckhardt, Giana M, Wilson, Jonathan A.J. “The rise of
inconspicuous consumption ”Journal of Marketing Management.Vol. 31, Iss. 78. 2015. Web. 13 Jan 2016
ConClusion
For the most part, the results that I have found are
inconclusive of anything in particular. Because conspicuous consumption
is rooted in human behavior, it can be difficult to come to definite
conclusions. In general, I found that people typically partake in
conspicuous consumption for the purposes of status recognition and
“Keeping up with the Jones’. I can conclude that these are definitely
partial explanations for conspicuous consumption, however these do not
explain it fully.
Campbell, Colin. “Conspicuous Confusion? A Critique of Veblen's Theory of
Conspicuous Consumption”. Sociological Theory 13.1 (1995): 37–47. Web. 12
Oct 2015
ACknoWledgements
I would like to thank Professor Manchiraju for allowing me to participate
in this research project and learn more about it, as well as helping me along
the way. I would also like to thank my UROP leaders, Andrew and Mari, for
providing guidance and support throughout this process.
Cook, Tim. “Conspicuous Consumption.” Image. NY times. New York Times, 22
Nov 2014. Web. 27 Feb 2016
Silverstone, Alicia, perf. Clueless. dir. Amy Heckerling. Paramount Pictures,
1995. Film