Thorstein Veblen

Individuals seek to make themselves as marketable as possible. The second is that all firms attempt to amplify the amount of money that they make.The author states that “maximizing utility is not synonymous with acting selfishly” (pg.8). He uses the example of the 91-year-old woman who spent her life working as a laundress in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. She lived by herself and owned a black-and-white television with only one channel (pg.8). Before her death, the woman had given $150,000 to the University of Southern Mississippi to endow a scholarship for poor students. The woman derived more utility from saving money and giving it away than spending it on herself. The author talks about how the prices of goods affect everyday life. Most people probably do not realize the effects prices have on us. The author mentions the spike in gas prices in 2008. The high price of gas forced Americans to buy smaller cars. The high price also increased the use of public transportation. It also caused many Americans to switch from cars to motorcycle. This increase in the use of motorcycles in turn raised the number of motorcycle deaths in the U.S. This change in the price of a single item shows the significance that prices play in the lives of

In 1879 Henry George wrote an article titled “Progress and Poverty”. In this article he discussed the ongoing industry and he stated that “the wealthy class is becoming more wealthy; but the poorer class is becoming more dependent.

He discusses all that is wrong with the wealthy individuals and how they are spoiled. He makes his argument by revealing how wealth is disposed of, “There are but three modes in which surplus wealth can be disposed of. It can all be left to the families of the descendants; or it can be bequeathed for public purposes; or, finally, it can be administrated during their lives by its possessors” (3). The author is Andrew Carnegie and intended audience is the general public but more specifically are those of wealth and make them conscious of how surplus wealth is disposed of. This is a primary source and reveals that even though this was how the world was a decade ago, it is quite similar and not much has

Have you ever wondered what life is like for people in specific social classes and all the baggage that comes with being wealthy? In the article “Amber Waves of Green”, author Jon Ronson has sit downs with hard working americans making a income of $200 a week all the way up to $625,000 a week. In another writing titled “The Mansion”, written by Michael Lewis, allows the reader to get insight on what life is like as a middle class individual taking on a higher style of living. Within the two articles the reader can point out that both Jon Ronson and Michael Lewis disagree on living styles, what wealth can do for you, and how it can affect the people around you.

During the 1920’s, wealth and extravagance followed the economic boost provided by WWI. Men determined to gain financial and social status by entering the stock market, bond sales, or illegal methods of getting rich began to mix amongst those of ‘old money’ and those of extreme poverty. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby features characters like the Buchanans, who were raised in wealth, as well as those who live in persistent poverty, like the

“It’s not what you own its what people think you own” (Ewen 183). Consumerism is fueling today’s “middle class”. Stewart Ewen’s “Chosen People” goes into detail about the rise of the materialistic middle class.

It can be observed, that both Willy Loman and Duddy Kravitz share an inner drive to acquire monetary wealth. Although this drive is instilled within them by the society they respectively live in, they experience diverging degrees of superficial success due to their ability, or lack there of, to adapt to the ruthless and competitive nature of a capitalistic society. It becomes evident that due to his

When it comes to the thesis, it quite obvious that the author utilizes a host of examples and evidences which can provide the readers with a powerful thesis. First, the author contrast the working hours of Americans with Europeans and Germans, although people may say that they are more likely to choose leisure rather than great wealth, people always pursue the wealth by working hard, since Americans believe that occupations and the labor exerted in the occupations are the significant elements of a person (Clausen 120-1). Therefore, the author points out the different opinions from the four famous authorities, some believe that people should work in order to get the food while others always put their attentions on the habits rather than the official work; it brings a idea that people can prove their worth not by their accomplishes but by long hours (Clausen 121).

During the Gilded Age, Americans tended to focus more on what to do about the poor people rather than how their life is benefitting from economic development. They wondered what they should do in order to help the suffering class, or if they should even help them. Three authors took a stand about economic inequality and formed their own opinion on how it affected society.

In the last few decades of the nineteenth century, America stepped into innovation. The economic growth dramatically, new products, transportation systems and technologies improved. The wealth is highlighted by the American upper class such as Andre Carnegie, William A. Clark, John Jacob Astor, and many more. This might know as the “Golden Age”, however, most Americans called it the “Gilded Age”. This term was made by Mark Twain in 1873 . In this period time, the rich were getting richer, we called them “Robber Baron”, and the poor were getting poorer. Industrial workers and farmers had to work long hours in dangerous conditions for

Zygmunt Bauman is the writer and author of consuming life and liquid modernity. He is among the pioneering founders of the post-modernism theory that is characteristic of most theories in sociology and philosophy. The concepts and positions posited by Baunam will be heavily relied upon in the composition of this essay – albeit subject to diverse opinions in analysis and with reliance of critique that is presented from various avenues such as contradictory theories to those of the author. In consuming life, Bauman asserts that consumerism has surpassed the mundane quality of consumption. This means that human advancement has led to the quintessential disorder where consumerism coerces humans into lukewarm and superficial meeting of needs and desires, as opposed to consumption which was individualistic in nature and self-gratifying. Individuality is the opposite of consumerism. Bauman attests that desires and life of worth can be attained only from egoistic search of satisfaction. However, individualistic system and egoism cannot push societies to prosperity and advancement. Insofar as consumerism contorts human culture and introduces dangers of ideology and religion, it is only through consumerism that advances in humanity and advancement that man can utilize ideologies such as capitalism, laissez faire conditions, international trade, diplomacy, and other diverse attributes in transforming human culture.

One of his major bestselling economic books, “The Affluent Society” written in 1958 deconstructs, and conveys how World War II affected the private and public sector and presses on the unacceptable gap between them. Gallibrath examines many economic topics throughout “The Affluent Society” including production, consumption, inflation, social balance and introduces many new theories and ideas to audience in the past.

Benjamin Franklin is considered one of the most realistic and wisest men in the history of America. He is known for his stand on the necessity for the individual to work hard and to be frugal in order to reach success. In the presented essay, “The Way to Wealth”, he makes mention of various aphorisms and pieces of advice which express his views and opinions about morals, ethics, life, taxes, debts, etc. Among those pieces of advice that he offers his audience, we find the phrase “employ thy time well if thou meanest to gain leisure; and, since thou art not sure of a minute, throw not away an hour.” Although much of his work is devoted to the importance of industry and of frugality, here Franklin discusses the difference between being lazy and having leisure. He places emphasis on how without working hard and in a conscious way, the individual will never be able to have time for pastimes or leisure. Instead of viewing laziness and fun as the ultimate goal an individual must aim for, Franklin advices about using the time in a profitable way. To him, labor brings more comfort than idleness or laziness, as when the individual is idle or bored, he manages to commit mischief. Moreover, it is his belief that one cannot just be in a useless position the whole time, lest poverty and necessity strike. Therefore, Franklin argues, it is important to find useful things to do with one’s time, but things that bring enjoyment, in order for one to work hard at them. Once the

As Bertrand Russell once said, “It is the preoccupation with possessions, more than anything else, that prevents us from living freely and nobly.” Indeed, in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, set during the Roaring 20s, displays the materialism of the characters through their concern to obtain more belongings. The Roaring 20s is considered as one of America’s most prosperous eras, however, Fitzgerald denounces the loss of moral values, the loss of identity, and the deception about achieving a person’s American Dream in addition to the hierarchy ruled by the rich. Thus, in The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald uses characterization and symbols to explore the superficial nature of the Roaring 20’s and in doing so exposes the dangers

There are some economists who support a theory the U.S. economic system is without a social class system, in the typical sense. However, through many proven research methods, science leans in the opposite direction of that theory. It has been shown that humans have a natural tendency to not only roam in places where they feel as though they belong, but they also exhibit similar traits in spending based on their surroundings. The main idea of the article “Social Classes and Spending Behavior” by Pierre Martineau is to understand consumer spending behavior in different social classes in order to apply a specific research design, created by Lloyd Warner, to several different market models. When a consumer of visibly lower social class walks into a expensive department store, the clerks inside will treat her considerably different than they would if a different customer from a noticeably higher living standard walked in (121). By having the difference between them, people who have the same standard will be treated differently in subtle ways (121). Apart from how others from separate social classes are treated, there is also differences among consumers of the same income level, which serves as a better indicator of their social class, as opposed to income level. It is said that Middle-class people do not hesitate when buying refrigerators and other appliances which is durable goods, also no hesitation when buying things in discount houses and making purchase in bargain stores