The Sum of Small Things

In 1899, the Norwegian economist Thorstein Veblen published his book Theory of the Leisure Class, where he coined the phrase conspicuous consumption. The author reflects on and updates these trends with her idea of the aspirational class as one highly educated and defined by cultural capital rather than income bracket - people whose values and lifestyle lead them to buy organic heirloom tomatoes from the farmers' market and breastfeed their babies. These are examples of 'inconspicuous consumption', and this class uses its income to pay for domestic help, educational advantage and private yoga or music lessons - all of which passes on the cultural capital in terms of advantage and is therefore a trend against equality of opportunity. A telling example is the use of the phrase 'kitchen supper', which implies that you also have a dining room that you use on more formal occasions. Indeed, the dinner party and its fashionable topics of conversation also implies a certain background, and our upbringing is manifest in terms of how we hold our cutlery and whether or not we put milk into our tea before or after pouring the tea - apparently this was originally due to the poor quality of crockery used by less privileged people.

The analysis draws on original research, with many informative graphs and tables. Some products like Ballet Slippers nail varnish - a new one on me - are not expensive but reflect the underlying assumption that it is natural to look after one's nails. Then there is conspicuous production, for instance choosing fair trade and ethically sourced coffee. In deciding where to place a new store, the main criterion for Whole Foods is apparently the density of college graduates within walking distance. These graduates are educated and informed, and this is reflected in their shopping habits, as implied above - another example would be the choice of an electric or hybrid car. Interestingly, the middle class spends more as a percentage of income on conspicuous consumption than the top percentiles, which reflects the extent to which previously exclusive products have become widely available. However, the author also highlights the caveat that income level and happiness are not correlated beyond an annual $75,000. She concludes by observing that these lifestyle choices are simply not an option for huge segments of society and that there is an element of narcissism in the aspirational class whose habits reveal who they are.