Theory of conspicuous consumption

Conspicuous consumption is the buying of the expensive goods in order to impress people and to show wealth to their members of social class.

It is the public consumption or usage of costly goods, services, or leisure activities out of the conscious or unconscious motive to display or enhance one’s own social status, to indicate one’s ability to pay for it and hence displaying one’s own wealth despite the possibility to consume cheaper alternatives which yield the same functionality.

It probably has existed since humans use goods (e.g., cloth, weapons, music instruments). The term “conspicuous consumption” was introduced by Thorstein Veblen’s (1899), who argued that individuals often consume attention-seeking goods and services to signal their wealth and thereby elevate their social status.

According to Veblen: In order to gain and to hold the esteem of men, wealth must be put in evidence, for esteem is awarded only on evidence.

Fundamental to his “Theory of the leisure class” is the assumption that individuals compare each other on the basis of their economic achievements. Moreover, he emphasized that these interpersonal comparisons are important for human behavior as they constitute the individual’s recognition by others.

By social custom, the evidence consists of unduly costly goods that fall into “accredited canons of conspicuous consumption”, the effect of which is to hold the consumer up to a standard of expensiveness and wastefulness in his consumption of goods and his employment of time and effort.

Studies showed that wearing luxury apparel results in more positive attributions from others and in preferential treatments in everyday social interactions. Surprisingly it also leads to the economically irrational fact that fundraisers on the streets receive more money from passersby when wearing luxury apparel than by wearing ordinary apparel.
Theory of conspicuous consumption

Conspicuous Consumption –Reveal the Wealth during the Funeral

Conspicuous Consumption –Reveal the Wealth during the Funeral
One of the aspects of the funeral reveals the wealth and social position of the members of the family which have left behind. The car at the head of the funeral procession is a good example.

The car at the head of the funeral procession is a good example. The head car is usually a Cadillac limousine, not because it gives a smoother ride than a Ford or a Chevy, although it might, but because it is a high prestige car, other ways of exhibiting wealth include the type of funeral home used, the way it is decorated, and the number and type of floral arrangement displayed.

In addition, there is the cemetery itself, which offers another chance for conspicuous consumption, the location of the grave the neighborhood in which the cemetery is located, even the view from the grave site - all the examples of how the family uses the funerals to exhibit its wealth.

Finally the tombstone will vary in size and quality according to how much the size and quality according to how much the family wishes to spend.
Conspicuous Consumption –Reveal the Wealth during the Funeral

Conspicuous Consumption

Conspicuous Consumption Continue from last post………. From one thing, the funeral service is a way of displaying wealth. The family may not want to admit it, but their actions are clearly part of a pattern that is commonly called “conspicuous consumption”: 

The things that we buy (consume) and the openly (conspicuously) display are designed not just for our own enjoyment but also for the impression they will make on others. This pattern may be seen in many aspects of funerals. 

The size, shape, and material of the casket are important, not because we are concerned about whether the deceased will be comfortable in the grave, and certainly not because we are worried about how long the casket will last under the ground, bur simply because for the few minutes that it will be seen by those who attend the funeral it will serve as an indicator of wealth and social position. 

Surely no one would claim that the deceased is more likely to be admitted top heaven in a metal casket than in a pine box. 

Conspicuous Consumption