Synonyms
Conspicuous Consumption
The consumption of goods and services for the purpose of gaining prestige or notoriety
Founding Author and Conceptual Origin of Conspicuous Consumption
Prior to its formal conceptual origin, conspicuous consumption was initially discussed by Adam Smith and Karl Marx (Memushi, 2013). For instance, Karl Marx, in Communist Manifesto, identifies and explains the societal basis of conspicuous consumption as a process in which goods are believed to possess prestige value. To that end, the purchase of such confers status and respect (Marx, 1964). Thorstein Bunde Veblen, in his work The Theory of the Leisure Class(1899), is credited with the initial development of the term conspicuous consumption. According to Veblen, the consumption of goods and services may stem from social dynamics instead of exclusively utilitarian motives (i.e., practical needs). More specifically, conspicuous consumption is defined as the...
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References
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Webb, P. (2023). Conspicuous Consumption: Foundations, Factors, and Future Development. In: Shackelford, T.K. (eds) Encyclopedia of Sexual Psychology and Behavior. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-08956-5_663-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-08956-5_663-1
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