Thorstein Veblen is...
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Object:
Thorstein Veblen is a name that is unfamiliar to most of us; yet his introduction of an economic concept has become a part of the English lexicon that is known by all. Veblen, an American economist and sociologist, is best known for his 1899 publication The Theory of the Leisure Class. In that book he discusses what he came to call "conspicuous consumption." It is what motivates individuals to purchase that which they can neither afford nor need, only to portray to others a false and inflated standard of living. Veblen, writing in the late 19th century, believed that conspicuous consumption extended to marriage. Husbands would have their wives attire themselves beyond what household finances could afford, because if a wife is admired and envied in a social setting then that attitude is superimposed upon her husband. And perhaps, a century hence, that concept of the ornament wife still prevails.
Application: Those who are more concerned with outside appearances are totally engaged in conspicuous consumption.
Application: Those who are more concerned with outside appearances are totally engaged in conspicuous consumption.
