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Soc1001f 2025 9 consumption and classification

Introduction to Sociology Exam Notes

Lectures Overview

  • Course: SOC1001F (2025) - Introduction to Sociology

  • Lecture 9: Focus on Conspicuous Consumption

  • Instructor: Prof. Jeremy Seekings

Social Change in North America (Late 1800s - Early 1900s)

  • Industrialisation Period: Marked by wealth concentration among super-rich individuals:

    • Key Figures:

      • Andrew Carnegie: Steel

      • Cornelius Vanderbilt: Railways

      • John D. Rockefeller and JP Morgan: Finance

  • Cultural Era: Referred to as the 'Gilded Age', known for its overt extravagance.

  • Recommended Video: PBS documentary on this era - Watch Here

F. Scott Fitzgerald and The Great Gatsby

  • Context: Reflects societal norms of conspicuous consumption in the 1920s.

  • Watch the Party Scene: 2013 adaptation highlights excess - Watch Here

  • Theoretical Framework - Thorstein Veblen:

    • Notable Work: Theory of the Leisure Class (1899)

    • Focus: How wealth is spent rather than how it is earned.

      • Concepts Introduced:

        • Conspicuous Leisure: Wealth displayed through leisure time activities.

        • Conspicuous Consumption: Displaying wealth through buying goods as a status symbol.

Impacts on Social Stratification

  • Aspirational Consumption: Lower classes emulate the consumption patterns of the upper classes to attain social standing:

    • Veblen's Argument: The upper class sets social standards that influence lower classes, creating a cycle of aspiration.

    • Normative Behavior: Lower classes strive to mimic lifestyle choices of higher statuses to maintain social reputation.

Clothing and Appearance

  • Veblen on Dress:

    • Principle of conspicuous expensiveness in garments: Clothes that reveal signs of manual labor are considered undesirable.

    • Neat, spotless garments are symbolic of leisure and wealth—divorced from industrial labor.

Theoretical Reflection

  • Posel and Van Wyk's View: Suggests Veblen's insights remain relevant in modern capitalism where the working class aspires to emulate, rather than revolt against, the bourgeoisie.

  • Contemporary Context: Are South Africans currently more focused on consumerism than revolutionary change?

Discussion of Consumption in South Africa

  • Focus Areas: Examining patterns of consumption around cars, cattle, and clothing:

Case Studies on Cars and Social Identity

  • Vehicle Ownership as Status:

    • Patrice Motsepe's BMW760 Li: A symbol of wealth and social standing.

      • Interpretation: BMW = “Black Man's Worry” or “Be My Wife”.

    • Duduzane Zuma: Preference for high-status vehicles like a Porsche 911 turbo, which symbolizes wealth, but also controversy due to legal issues.

  • Amanda DuPont's McLaren: Highlights luxury and aspirational consumption in women.

Cattle as Wealth

  • Cultural Significance: Cattle ownership historically signifies wealth and social cohesion in South African society:

    • Discuss how the narrative of traditional wealth contrasts with modern concepts of consumption.

Evolving Symbols of Wealth

  • Johannes Jeske's Analysis (2016):

    • Cattle and cars as symbols of wealth elucidate the moralities surrounding wealth in South Africa.

    • Shift in spending patterns: From investment in cattle (social cohesion) to cars (individualistic status).

    • Cars symbolize success, independence and may disrupt traditional kinship obligations.

Individual Earnings and Social Obligations

  • Social Dynamics: Individuals with assets manage claims made by kin and community; evolving expectations highlight a changing social fabric:

    • Decreased support for distant kin.

    • Increased individualism resulting in reduced communal obligations.

    • Research indicates growth in private housing choices to minimize kinship claims.

Conspicuous Consumption Among Lower Classes

  • I’khotane Phenomenon: Youth from low-income families showcase status through luxury clothing:

    • Engaging in extreme acts such as wearing and burning high-end goods to display wealth.

    • Links to Veblen's concepts of conspicuous consumption and emulation suggest a reinvigoration of these ideas in modern societal contexts.

  • Further Reading: Explored through Mnisi's work on youth culture and consumption.