{"product_id":"164640","title":"Ambition Class Theory ","description":"\u003ccenter\u003e\u003cdiv style=\"text-align:center\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/tmgdisk01.cafe24.com\/images\/vs\/4172\/sv\/3jYFtwm1ys0B26VVUgZxP6TFVkAX7x.png?v=1764974823\" style=\"max-width:100%;max-height:10px\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003c\/center\u003e\n\u003ccenter\u003e\u003ctable\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd style=\"height:10px\"\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\u003c\/tr\u003e\u003c\/table\u003e\u003c\/center\u003e\n\u003ccenter\u003e\u003ctable\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd style=\"height:10px\"\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\u003c\/tr\u003e\u003c\/table\u003e\u003c\/center\u003e\n\u003ccenter\u003e\n\n\u003cdiv style=\"width:95%\"\u003e\n\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align:center;font-size:30px;font-weight:bolder;line-height:1.6em\"\u003e Ambition Class Theory \u003c\/div\u003e\n\n\u003ccenter\u003e\u003ctable\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd style=\"height:10px\"\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\u003c\/tr\u003e\u003c\/table\u003e\u003c\/center\u003e\n\n\u003ccenter\u003e\u003ctable\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd style=\"height:10px\"\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\u003c\/tr\u003e\u003c\/table\u003e\u003c\/center\u003e\n\n\u003ccenter\u003e\u003ctable\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd style=\"height:10px\"\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\u003c\/tr\u003e\u003c\/table\u003e\u003c\/center\u003e\n\n\u003ccenter\u003e\u003ctable\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd style=\"height:10px\"\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\u003c\/tr\u003e\u003c\/table\u003e\u003c\/center\u003e\n\n\u003cdiv style=\"border-bottom:1px;border-bottom-style:dotted;border-color:;padding-bottom:20px\"\u003e\u003ccenter\u003e\u003ctable align=\"center\" width=\"100%\"\u003e\u003ctbody style=\"border:0px\"\u003e\n\n\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"center\" style=\"line-height:1.2em;text-align:center;font-size:18px;color:black;font-weight:bold;padding-bottom:20px;\"\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\n\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd style=\"text-align:center\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/image.yes24.com\/goods\/125232403\/XL\" style=\"max-width:100%;height:auto\"\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\n\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\u003c\/table\u003e\u003c\/center\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\n\u003ccenter\u003e\u003ctable\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd style=\"height:10px\"\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\u003c\/tr\u003e\u003c\/table\u003e\u003c\/center\u003e\n\n\u003ccenter\u003e\u003ctable\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd style=\"height:10px\"\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\u003c\/tr\u003e\u003c\/table\u003e\u003c\/center\u003e\n\n\u003cdiv style=\"width:95%;{split_style6}padding-top:20px;padding-bottom:20px\"\u003e\n\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align:left;font-size:16px;font-weight:bold;padding-bottom:20px\"\u003e Description \u003c\/div\u003e\n\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align:left;word-break:break-all;font-size:14px;line-height:1.6em;\"\u003e\n\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003ch5\u003e \u003cb\u003eBook Introduction\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003c\/h5\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cdl\u003e\n\u003cdt\u003e A word from MD\u003c\/dt\u003e\n\u003cdd\u003e  \u003cdiv\u003eThorstein Veblen, in his book The Theory of the Leisure Class, argued that conspicuous consumption reveals class.\u003cbr\u003e In modern times, where goods have become commonplace, the way we distinguish between them has changed.\u003cbr\u003e Non-conspicuous consumption of knowledge and cultural tastes has become important.\u003cbr\u003e Inequality has worsened, but it is invisible.\u003cbr\u003e This is why we must closely observe the emergence of the ambitious class.\u003cbr\u003e - Son Min-gyu, Social and Political PD\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/dd\u003e\n\u003c\/dl\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e Thorstein Veblen was a social critic and economist who most sharply captured the social significance of consumption in a capitalist society.\u003cbr\u003e Veblen's 1899 book, \"The Theory of the Leisure Class,\" is a definitive text that accurately explains the relationship between material wealth and status, and fiercely criticizes the leisure class for social distinction through conspicuous consumption.\u003cbr\u003e It criticizes the leisure class as a wealthy and lazy group that constantly flaunts their social and economic status with useless and non-functional material goods. \u003cbr\u003eBut since Veblen's time, society and the economy have changed dramatically, and consumption that reveals social status has also changed.\u003cbr\u003e The Industrial Revolution and the rise of manufacturing gave rise to a middle class, and as material goods became cheaper, conspicuous consumption became mainstream.\u003cbr\u003e The leisure class that Veblen spoke of no longer exists.\u003cbr\u003e The new elites who have taken their place work long hours, invest heavily in their children's education, and cherish cultural values, all the while focusing on class reproduction through meritocracy and the values ​​and norms they pursue.\u003cbr\u003e The emergence of the 'ambitious class' who seek to distinguish their status through spiritual consumption rather than material consumption.\u003cbr\u003e Elizabeth Currid-Halkitt vividly and meticulously analyzes the consumer culture of this aspiring class, pointing out that it has a far more harmful impact than the material consumption culture of the leisure class of the past.\u003cbr\u003e\n\n\u003c\/div\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e  \u003cdiv\u003e\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003eYou can preview some of the book's contents.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cspan\u003ePreview\u003c\/span\u003e\n\n\u003c\/li\u003e\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\u003ch5\u003e \u003cb\u003eindex\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003c\/h5\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e Chapter 1: The Erosion of the Leisurely Class and the Emergence of the Ambitionary Class\u003cbr\u003e Chapter 2: Conspicuous Consumption in the 21st Century\u003cbr\u003e Chapter 3: Conspicuous Consumption and the New Elites\u003cbr\u003e Chapter 4: How Motherhood Became a Showy Finite\u003cbr\u003e Chapter 5: The Value of Transparency and Conspicuous Production\u003cbr\u003e Chapter 6: Cities and the Ambition Class\u003cbr\u003e Chapter 7: Changing Consumer Culture and Deepening Inequality\u003cbr\u003e Acknowledgements\u003cbr\u003e Appendix: Analysis of Consumer Expenditure Survey Data\u003cbr\u003e main\u003cbr\u003e References\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\u003ch5\u003e \u003cb\u003eInto the book\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003c\/h5\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e These and other diverse changes in society and the economy are influencing and transforming the meaning of status and consumption in the 21st century. \u003cbr\u003eWhat does consumption look like today, and how has it changed over the past few decades? How do our gender, race, occupation, and location influence what we consume? If everyone today has relatively equal access to material goods, how do the wealthy elite maintain their status? What would Veblen say if he were in the 21st century? This book explores these changes and how they impact how we spend our money and time, and how we demonstrate our status in various ways.\u003cbr\u003e --- p.20~21\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e This new, dominant elite cultural group may be called, quite simply, the aspirational class. \u003cbr\u003eTheir symbolic status is sometimes expressed through material goods, but more often it is expressed through cultural signifiers of knowledge and values—conversations about newspaper columns at dinner parties, bumper stickers expressing political views and support for Greenpeace, shopping at farmers' markets.\u003cbr\u003e These actions and signs encapsulate the values ​​of the ambitious class, and also subtly reveal the knowledge acquired in the process of forming those values.\u003cbr\u003e Today's aspiring class values ​​values, cultural and social awareness, and the acquisition of knowledge in everything from career choices to the type of bread they buy at the grocery store.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eThey want to feel informed and justified in their decisions, believing that they are making the right and reasonable decisions based on facts (about the benefits of organic food, breastfeeding, electric cars, etc.) in every choice, big or small.\u003cbr\u003e In short, unlike Veblen's leisure class or David Brooks's 'bobos' [bohemian bourgeois. - translator's note], this new elite is not defined economically.\u003cbr\u003e The aspiring class has a group consciousness based on specific values ​​and knowledge acquisition, and is formed through the rare social and cultural processes necessary to acquire knowledge.\u003cbr\u003e --- p.40~41\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e In this book, I focus primarily on the habits, norms, and consumption patterns of the 21st-century aspiring class.\u003cbr\u003e But this cultural group would not have existed without the cultural groups that came before it. \u003cbr\u003eTo understand how the aspiring class consumes, we must understand how Americans in general consume and how this consumption has changed over time.\u003cbr\u003e As with all groups, the perception of themselves as an aspiring class is partly driven by differentiation, partly by assimilation, and often both at once.\u003cbr\u003e This chapter examines how Americans have consumed over time across income levels and how race, gender, occupation, location, and income level influence these spending habits.\u003cbr\u003e This will allow us to understand the habits and practices of the aspiring class as part of the broader context of 21st-century American consumer culture.\u003cbr\u003e --- p.54~55\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Likewise, in the 21st century, social status is measured not just by cars and watches, but also by access to opportunities, information, and investments that are otherwise difficult to access. \u003cbr\u003eFor the ambitious class, these signifiers are what I call 'non-conspicuous consumption', a more subtle and less materialistic form of displaying one's status only to those in the know.\u003cbr\u003e Sometimes these consumption choices don't even attempt to show status.\u003cbr\u003e Whether it's the most expensive item everyone buys or an investment in their children's life chances, this new form of non-conspicuous consumption involves purchasing goods and services to make life easier and improve well-being (whether intellectual or physical).\u003cbr\u003e But the ordinary yet profound non-conspicuous consumption of these elites (both the culturally affluent aspiring class and the economically well-off) solidifies their own and their children's socioeconomic positions.\u003cbr\u003e --- p.92\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eIn the eyes of the ambitious class, we are what we eat, drink, and consume, and because of this, the opaque production processes of some goods are being replaced by transparency at every stage.\u003cbr\u003e This transparency doesn't just add more cultural value—transparency itself is a value.\u003cbr\u003e We buy smaller, uglier apples at farmers markets.\u003cbr\u003e Because I met the farmer in person and I know that he does not spray harmful chemicals on his fruit.\u003cbr\u003e We pay three times as much for a linen shirt.\u003cbr\u003e This is because the owner of the shop selling this shirt personally traveled to a small shop somewhere on the Amalfi Coast of Italy, met with a tailor (and his child) and brought it back.\u003cbr\u003e We slather on organic coconut oil instead of Retin-A cream and buy $20 mac and cheese from restaurants that list their ranches in chalk on a rustic sign outside.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eAs Mark Greif puts it in Against Everything, “Eating tasteless supermarket tomatoes is a truly ‘uncool’ thing to do.\u003cbr\u003e But even if the tomatoes are equally tasteless and watery, they taste ‘real’ if they are native tomatoes.”\u003cbr\u003e In the newly formed economic and cultural system, the core of ostentatious status signs lies in production, not consumption.\u003cbr\u003e This is why you see successful Hollywood screenwriters and unemployed hipsters in the same cafe.\u003cbr\u003e After centuries of diametrically opposed opposition, these two groups have finally come together as the ambitious class, both desiring and valuing the same things.\u003cbr\u003e\n\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e --- p.204~205\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\u003ch5\u003e \u003cb\u003ePublisher's Review\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003c\/h5\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e \u003cb\u003eThe ambitious class emerged in place of the wealthy class.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “Even when Veblen wrote his essay on the leisure class, conspicuous consumption was limited to a very special social class. \u003cbr\u003eOf course, all social classes engaged in conspicuous consumption to some extent, but the leisure class was the only group that could use material goods to display their status.\u003cbr\u003e Today, material goods are abundant, but their ability to reveal or enable social mobility is diminishing.\u003cbr\u003e There is no longer a dominant leisure class.\u003cbr\u003e The ambitious class that has taken its place is rewriting consumption patterns and simultaneously moving away from traditional conspicuous consumption.” (Chapter 1: The Erosion of the Leisure Class, the Rise of the Aspiring Class, p. 46)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e In 1899, Thorstein Veblen sharply captured the social significance of consumption in a capitalist society through “The Theory of the Leisure Class.” \u003cbr\u003eAmong them, he fiercely criticized the leisure class as a wealthy and lazy group that constantly flaunted their social and economic status with conspicuous consumption, that is, useless and useless material goods while doing economically unproductive work.\u003cbr\u003e When Veblen wrote \"The Theory of the Leisure Class,\" conspicuous consumption was limited to a very special class, and the leisure class was almost the only group that could show off their social status through material goods.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e However, “with the disappearance of the wealthy and lazy aristocracy and the rise of the educated, self-made elite, ‘leisure’ is no longer synonymous with upper class” (p. 34). In other words, unlike Veblen’s time, today’s upper socioeconomic groups work longer hours than anyone else, are more productive throughout their lives, and have less time, not more. \u003cbr\u003eElizabeth Currid-Halkitt takes up the key concepts of The Theory of the Leisure Class and reexamines contemporary consumer culture and class.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Since Veblen's time, society and the economy have changed dramatically.\u003cbr\u003e As the Industrial Revolution and the development of manufacturing gave rise to a middle class and material goods became cheaper, conspicuous consumption became commonplace.\u003cbr\u003e We have entered an era where most people own at least one luxury item.\u003cbr\u003e The distinction between conspicuous consumption and other forms of consumption has blurred, leading the wealthy and elite to find new ways to display their social status.\u003cbr\u003e They are increasingly distancing themselves from materialism and focusing on social and environmental awareness and knowledge acquisition. \u003cbr\u003eThat is, today's consumption as a practice of distinction is focused on non-conspicuous consumption that reveals knowledge level, cultural capital, and social and environmental awareness, rather than conspicuous consumption that involves buying unnecessary, flashy, and ostentatious items.\u003cbr\u003e The author asserts that today there is no longer a dominant leisure class, and that an aspirational class has emerged in its place.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003eWho are the ambitious class?\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e So who exactly are the ambitious class? What criteria do they use to distinguish themselves? The author argues that many of those spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on designer goods today are earning their own money.\u003cbr\u003e The majority of them do so through legitimate labor.\u003cbr\u003e Unlike in the past, today's wealthy do not have abundant leisure time, and this has already been proven by numerous studies. \u003cbr\u003eUnlike the leisure class of the past, the ambitious class climbs the economic ladder based on high education, specialized skills, and cultural capital, but the author argues that what unites them is not their income level.\u003cbr\u003e In other words, although most members of the ambitious class are educated and knowledgeable, they do not necessarily occupy the top of the economic pyramid, and many are not part of the wealthy elite in the labor market.\u003cbr\u003e What unites this new class is not income level, but cultural level.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e For this new class, knowledge is important, and it is valued regardless of its economic utility.\u003cbr\u003e This is because material goods are no longer a clear indicator of social status.\u003cbr\u003e What sets the ambitious class apart from others is their ability to acquire knowledge and utilize information to form values ​​that are conscious of society and the environment. \u003cbr\u003eHere, consumption functions as a symbol that shows the members' life philosophy and values.\u003cbr\u003e Therefore, the aspiring class includes people who have sufficient education and cultural capital, even if they do not necessarily have high incomes (although the majority are distributed within the top 10 percent of income).\u003cbr\u003e In other words, the aspiring class includes those who have secured economic upward mobility through education and specialized knowledge, such as bankers, lawyers, and engineers, but also includes people with creative writing degrees from Yale University, people in the film industry, screenwriters who have yet to sell their screenplays, and young urbanites working in publishing.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The defining characteristic of this new elite cultural group is the acquisition of knowledge and the values ​​based on it.\u003cbr\u003e They use their knowledge to achieve greater social, environmental and cultural awareness.\u003cbr\u003e Social status is revealed in the process of acquiring knowledge and forming values. \u003cbr\u003eThe author thus argues that this new group acquires similar knowledge, shares the same values, and through this embodies a collective consciousness.\u003cbr\u003e For example, reading cultural reviews, keeping up with the latest news, and eating organic food are ways for them to connect with each other regardless of their economic status.\u003cbr\u003e “Knowledge and cultural capital are used to make rational decisions about what to eat, how to treat the environment, and how to become better parents, more productive workers, and more discerning consumers.” (p. 40)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003eFrom conspicuous consumption to non-conspicuous consumption\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e To understand the rise of the aspiring class, we need to examine how conspicuous consumption has changed.\u003cbr\u003e The author analyzes data from the Consumer Expenditure Survey of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics to paint a portrait of American consumption. \u003cbr\u003eChapter 2, which examines conspicuous consumption in the 21st century, and Chapter 3, which discusses the rise of non-conspicuous consumption, provide crucial analyses for understanding the consumption habits and practices of the aspiring class as part of the broader context of American consumer culture.\u003cbr\u003e This book explores why conspicuous consumption is no longer the exclusive domain of the wealthy and explores non-conspicuous consumption as the most consistent and distinguishing consumption practice among elites.\u003cbr\u003e It helps us understand how non-conspicuous consumption, which is generally invisible but reveals status to peers, is the most harmful practice that divides the elite from the rest.\u003cbr\u003e The author's analysis is that non-conspicuous consumption practices, which can be incredibly expensive and invisible, bring about social opportunities and economic mobility that cannot be purchased through conspicuous consumption.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The author summarizes the following key macro trends in American consumption: \u003cbr\u003eFirst, the wealthy and upper middle class (the top 1 percent, 5 percent, and 10 percent of income earners) spend less on conspicuous consumption than the average American, while the middle class (the top 40 to 60 percent of income earners) spends more.\u003cbr\u003e Second, in terms of expenditure ratio, the middle class has a high proportion of conspicuous consumption relative to its income, while the wealthy class has a low proportion.\u003cbr\u003e Third, the conspicuous consumption of the wealthy is being replaced by non-conspicuous consumption.\u003cbr\u003e In other words, the consumption of the wealthy is being replaced by non-ostentatious but expensive services that create more leisure and life opportunities.\u003cbr\u003e Representative examples include labor-intensive services such as education, medical care, childcare, childcare, and housekeeping.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e This is by no means to say that the conspicuous consumption of the wealthy has disappeared.\u003cbr\u003e Unlike in the past, the proportion has decreased significantly, and spending on non-conspicuous consumption areas such as education has increased dramatically. \u003cbr\u003eFor example, spending on education in the United States has increased by 60 percent since 1996, but for the top 10 percent of income earners, the increase has been nearly 300 percent.\u003cbr\u003e Given that the shares of other income groups remained largely unchanged, this suggests that spending by the top income group drove the increase in total spending.\u003cbr\u003e The authors predict that the future trajectory will be significantly different because the share of such spending has increased among the top income brackets.\u003cbr\u003e The children who benefit from this increased spending don't just get a better education; they also get better jobs and higher incomes—in short, a better future for themselves and their families.\u003cbr\u003e This type of spending has significantly different outcomes for those who can afford it.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003eConspicuous Consumption and the New Elites\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Conspicuous consumption is discussed in detail in Chapter 3. \u003cbr\u003eThe non-conspicuous consumption that the author speaks of is a practice of consumption that distinguishes itself as “a more subtle and less materialistic form that reveals one’s status only to those who know” (p. 92).\u003cbr\u003e Sometimes these consumption choices are not about displaying status at all, but rather about purchasing goods and services that make life easier, whether it's a luxury item or an investment in a child's life chances.\u003cbr\u003e Non-conspicuous consumption, which at first glance appears ordinary and productive, is actually geared towards consolidating socioeconomic status.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The author analyzes the non-conspicuous consumption of the ambitious class as follows:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e First, as many material consumer goods became less accessible and more overt, the wealthy and elites sought lesser-known and coded symbols to signal their social standing.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eSecond, with the restructuring of the global economy, a meritocratic elite with intellectual ability has been highly valued, and these labor market elites (many of whom are aspiring) believe in upward mobility based on their own experiences and hope that their children will enjoy the same.\u003cbr\u003e They work very hard to achieve and maintain high incomes, making leisure time a very scarce resource.\u003cbr\u003e Even then, most of it is filled with consumer activities, and paradoxically, we have come to a situation where we have to work harder to have more leisure time.\u003cbr\u003e Today's labor market elite, especially those in the aspiring class, secure their leisure time by paying substantial amounts for childcare, housework, vacations, and so on, and then spend money to make the most of it.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Finally, material consumption is no longer prioritized over investing in more important expenditures like education, retirement, and healthcare. \u003cbr\u003eAll this consumption becomes a crucial conduit for reproducing the status of the aspiring class and further separating it from the rest of the population, while simultaneously excluding ordinary people through high prices.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The author believes that this non-conspicuous consumption is becoming a new source of class distinction.\u003cbr\u003e Conspicuous consumption is divided into two types: 'conspicuous consumption with information costs' and 'extremely expensive conspicuous consumption'.\u003cbr\u003e Non-conspicuous consumption, which incurs information costs, can seem quite trivial and inexpensive, from the color of nail polish to which columnist you quote in conversation to which restaurant you go to, but it is difficult to access without cultural capital.\u003cbr\u003e Highly expensive conspicuous consumption is a form of consumption that significantly improves the lives of those who can afford it, such as childcare, medical care, and college tuition, while also reinforcing class distinctions. \u003cbr\u003eThe author explains that the essence of almost all non-conspicuous consumption is that it is so invisible that only those in the know can detect it, and therefore difficult to imitate without implicit information or significant amounts of money.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003eThe leisure of the ambitious class, marked by productivity, and ostentatious production\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Chapters 4 and 5 examine how the leisure and consumption of the aspiring class obscure their privileges and turn them into a kind of moral problem.\u003cbr\u003e In the past, Veblen defined ostentatious finiteness as 'unproductive' time, but the author says that today's ostentatious finiteness of the ambitious class is filled with productivity.\u003cbr\u003e At that point, Chapter 4, 'How Motherhood Became an Exhibitive Finiteness,' discusses various aspects of parenting as new channels for an ostentatious finiteness. \u003cbr\u003eAspiring parents approach parenting as a developmental project, investing time in practices that maximize their children's future success rather than spending the same amount of time on unproductive leisure activities.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e According to the author's analysis, today's choices of certain methods of childbirth and childrearing, such as home birth or breastfeeding, may at first seem like choices based on values, but in reality, they are closely linked to the time (money) and cultural capital that allow for such choices, and this also leads to class reproduction.\u003cbr\u003e As a mother of two, the author draws on her own experiences to reveal that parenting among the aspiring class, including herself, is not unrelated to class practices, even when it may seem like we strive for the \"right\" way.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eThe author describes parenting as a prime example of ostentatious finiteness, but argues that in a society where there is constant pressure to be productive in work and life, \"productivity\" extends beyond parenting.\u003cbr\u003e Universities, which in Veblen's day were considered institutions of ostentatious leisure, have become essential for most people today, and learning has become less a matter of conduct or erudition and more a matter of transforming knowledge into productivity.\u003cbr\u003e Accordingly, the elite of the 21st century have discovered new, ostentatious leisure activities that suggest social status, and the author mentions exercise as a representative example, along with parenting.\u003cbr\u003e The fact that designer sportswear has become a material symbol of ostentatious leisure, and that leisure time is absorbed into opportunities for self-improvement, demonstrates the cultural norms of the aspiring class's influence throughout society.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eThe author, who makes clear that the myth surrounding ostentatious leisure in the 21st century is a luxury enjoyed by the ruling social class based on time and knowledge, describes ostentatious production as a change brought about by the privilege of affluence and information meeting a backlash against mass production.\u003cbr\u003e Goods produced through conspicuous production are a key area of ​​consumption for the ambitious class.\u003cbr\u003e For the ambitious class, which values ​​knowledge, social and environmental awareness, we are what we eat, drink and consume, the author argues, and thus the opaque production processes of many goods are being replaced by transparency at every step. \u003cbr\u003eA prime example is the rise of specialty coffee, an industry that creates a sense of exclusivity by meticulously managing and transparently disclosing every step of the process from coffee harvesting to extraction. This is vividly described in the success stories of Intelligentsia, one of the \"big three specialty coffees\" in the U.S. and which recently opened its first global store in Seochon, Korea, and Whole Foods Market, which only handles organic foods.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003eThe city and the ambitious class that have become a 'landscape of consumption'\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Chapter 6, 'Cities and the Ambitionary Class', is a chapter that draws a topographical map of the ambitionary class and their consumption patterns through the city.\u003cbr\u003e The 21st century city, which has become a 'landscape of consumption,' is also a place where the diverse consumption practices of the ambitious class unfold. \u003cbr\u003eBy examining in detail the consumption patterns of major cities such as New York, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles, which are particularly central to the affluent aspiring class, the author enables us to understand cities as regions that define the 21st-century aspiring class and its unique lifestyle.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e When we look at consumption patterns, we see that large cities are just as different from ordinary small towns as they are from each other.\u003cbr\u003e While many past studies have attempted to understand the city as a unified whole, each city is so different in its consumption patterns that it feels as if it came from different planets. \u003cbr\u003eThe author reveals the differences between cities quite specifically through the consumption patterns of what people eat, drink, and live in, and describes the luxuries and amenities that exist only in cities, revealing the reality of cities today that reinforce inequality and class divisions.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003eHow does changing consumer culture conceal and reinforce inequality?\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The author's problem awareness is clear.\u003cbr\u003e The consumer culture of the ambitious class, which engages in conspicuous production, conspicuous leisure, and non-conspicuous consumption rather than simple conspicuous consumption, is widening the class gap much more secretly and seriously than the material goods consumption of the leisure class in the past.\u003cbr\u003e In other words, investing in education, health, retirement, and childcare, rather than buying silver spoons or taking long vacations, creates class distinctions and further ensures class reproduction in a way that no material goods can. \u003cbr\u003eThe author argues that today's inequality is not simply an economic divide, but an unprecedentedly profound cultural divide. He points out that even cultural differences surrounding vague norms like parenting, knowledge, and environmental awareness are rooted in economic positions, and that symbolic boundaries come at a tremendous cost.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e In conclusion, the author describes the current state of the American middle class, which stands on the opposite side of the aspiring class and cannot afford the non-conspicuous consumption that the aspiring class so desires.\u003cbr\u003e The reality for the middle class today is that they face massive unemployment, falling housing prices, stagnant wages, and it has become much harder to afford even a material version of a satisfying life, let alone conspicuous consumption. \u003cbr\u003eThings that have a real impact on our quality of life, like education, healthcare, childcare, and college tuition, cost far more than conspicuous consumption items like televisions or minivans.\u003cbr\u003e Today, the wealthiest members of the aspiring class spend here, further widening the gap between themselves and everyone else.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Even the seemingly worthy consumption practices of the aspirational class actually cut across social and economic classes, creating destructive in-group\/out-group divisions, the author argues.\u003cbr\u003e Consumption is a simple and effective way for people to distinguish themselves and express their identity.\u003cbr\u003e Various forms of consumption are also clear means of showing class divisions.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The author emphasizes that what is particularly harmful about consumption as a status symbol today is that it is perceived as a moral choice, even though it is in fact about economic constraints or freedom. \u003cbr\u003eThis hides inequality.\u003cbr\u003e Parenting, cultural knowledge, and food choices are often packaged as personal preferences or morals, but in reality, most are choices based on socioeconomic status.\u003cbr\u003e Breastfeeding, drinking specialty coffee, exercising with personal training at least three times a week, and filling your grocery cart with organic foods aren't just about values.\u003cbr\u003e \"The Ambition Class\" reminds us that such consumption practices are not even an option for the vast majority of society, and makes all of us living in a capitalist society, regardless of whether we are members of the ambition class, reconsider the meaning of consumption. \u003cbr\u003e\n\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\n\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\n\u003ccenter\u003e\u003ctable\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd style=\"height:10px\"\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\u003c\/tr\u003e\u003c\/table\u003e\u003c\/center\u003e\n\n\u003ccenter\u003e\u003ctable\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd style=\"height:10px\"\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\u003c\/tr\u003e\u003c\/table\u003e\u003c\/center\u003e\n\n\u003cdiv style=\"width:95%;padding-top:20px;padding-bottom:20px\"\u003e\n\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align:left;font-size:16px;font-weight:bold;padding-bottom:20px\"\u003e GOODS SPECIFICS \u003c\/div\u003e\n\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align:left;font-size:14px;line-height:1.6em;\"\u003e\n\n\u003cdiv style=\"width:100%;margin-bottom:5px;line-height:1.6em;font-size:14px\"\u003e - \u003cstrong\u003eDate of issue:\u003c\/strong\u003e March 2, 2024\u003c\/div\u003e\n\n\u003cdiv style=\"width:100%;margin-bottom:5px;line-height:1.6em;font-size:14px\"\u003e - \u003cstrong\u003ePage count, weight, size:\u003c\/strong\u003e 400 pages | 510g | 140*210*24mm\u003c\/div\u003e\n\n\u003cdiv style=\"width:100%;margin-bottom:5px;line-height:1.6em;font-size:14px\"\u003e - \u003cstrong\u003eISBN13:\u003c\/strong\u003e 9791168730960 \u003c\/div\u003e\n\n\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\n\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\n\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\n\u003ccenter\u003e\n\n\u003ccenter\u003e\u003ctable\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd style=\"height:10px\"\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\u003c\/tr\u003e\u003c\/table\u003e\u003c\/center\u003e\n\n\u003ccenter\u003e\u003ctable\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd style=\"height:10px\"\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\u003c\/tr\u003e\u003c\/table\u003e\u003c\/center\u003e\n\n\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\n\u003c\/center\u003e\n\n\n\u003c\/center\u003e","brand":"LIBRAIRIE COREENNE","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43891448414250,"sku":"164640","price":31.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0683\/2750\/5962\/files\/1ccc34901bf291fb9dba628624520ca8.jpg?v=1765325392","url":"https:\/\/librairie.coreenne.fr\/en\/products\/164640","provider":"LIBRAIRIE COREENNE","version":"1.0","type":"link"}