What Would Veblen Say?

Abstract

It has been more than 100 years since Thorstein Veblen published The Theory of the Leisure Class (TLC). The book was a scathing attack on the greedy leisure class of his day and described how people used wealth to elevate their social position in society. Surprisingly, few researchers use this book to understand leisure in contemporary society. TLC remains as relevant today as it did when first published. In this essay I elucidate some of Veblen's ideas and show how they shed light on leisure spending, emulation among birdwatchers, our display of books, boundary maintenance and social distance, and environmental destruction.

Keywords:

• conspicuous consumption
• conspicuous leisure
• Thorstein Veblen

A longer version of this essay will be published in Speaking Up and Speaking Out: Working for Social and Environmental Justice Through Parks, Recreation, and Leisure edited by Karen Paisley and Daniel Dustin and published by Sagamore Publishing.