Credits, references, and bibliography

Veblen at the Dead Sociologists Society

A.    Business

B.     Industry

C.     Key Concept: Conspicuous Consumption and Conspicuous Leisure (or not)

D.    Biographical Vignette: Thorstein Veblen

"Thorstein Veblen’s general concern throughout his career was the increasing control of business over industry and the negative consequences of this development.  According to Veblen, business is concerned mostly with money.  In other words, business organizations are concerned primarily with profit, rather than the interest of a larger community, production, or craftsmanship.  Industry, on the other hand, is the understanding and productive use of mechanized processes on a large scale.  Those people who are most involved in workmanship and production — such as the working classes — tend to take an industrial orientation to the world.  The conflict between the two comes when business restricts production in order to keep prices and profits high.  The consequence is that the dominance of business tends to retard the development of industry.  Veblen was also concerned with consumption, and this distinguishes him from the other theorists discussed in this chapter.  Veblen formulated two concepts, conspicuous consumption and conspicuous leisure, which are central to his theory of consumption.  Conspicuous consumption refers to the consumption of goods that increase people’s status and thereby create invidious distinctions.  Conspicuous leisure refers to the non-productive use of time as a means of elevating status and creating invidious distinctions between people."(1)

Websites:

Elegant Technology

http://elegant-technology.com/TCbase.html

Authored primarily by Jonathan Larson, this website uses Veblen’s ideas to promote economic prosperity through environmental renewal.  It features a slideshow of the restoration of Veblen’s Minnesota farmhouse and essays on Veblen from the International Thorstein Veblen Association meetings on issues including education, environmentalism and the military.

The Veblenite

http://www.geocities.ws/veblenite/default.html

This site is dedicated to demonstrating the importance of Thorstein Veblen’s writings and placing his works at the disposal of everyone. It includes full texts of all of his writings before the 1920’s and materials that help place the work in its historical context include contemporary reviews and comparisons with other early twentieth century American social and economic thinkers.

Quiz

Credits, references, and bibliography

1. Much of this page comes from the "Instructor's Manual" to accompany Contemporary Sociological Theory and Its Classical Roots: The Basics, Second Edition, George Ritzer, Mcgraw-Hill, 2007. The Instructor's Manual was prepared by James Murphy, University of Maryland, College Park and Todd Stillman, Fayetteville State University. This quote come from chapter 3.
2. Ritzer, George. 2007/2010/2013. Contemporary Sociological Theory and Its Classical Roots: The Basics. 2nd/3rd/4th editions. St. Louis: McGraw-Hill

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