The Theory of the Leisure Class

The Theory of the Leisure Class by Thorstein Veblen is a treatise of economics and sociology and a critique of conspicuous consumption as a function of social class and of consumerism.In this book Veblen explores the concept of conspicuous consumption and critiques the socio-economic structure of late 19th-century America. Veblen argues that in this society the upper classes engage in wasteful and often irrational spending on luxury goods and services as a means of displaying their social status and wealth.Veblen further delves into the idea of ‘conspicuous leisure’ where the upper class engages in non-productive activities such as leisurely pursuits and ostentatious displays of idleness to signal their social standing.The Theory of the Leisure Class is a critical analysis of the emerging consumer culture and materialism in late 19th-century America and it remains influential in the fields of sociology economics and cultural studies.