Veblen in Perspective

This work discusses the impact and contemporary relevance of the work of Thorstein Veblen, as well as the source of his ideas. It suggests that he was one of the first modern sociologists of consumption whose analysis of contemporary display and fashion anticipated later theories and research. Chapter 1 The Times, Life, and Works of Thorstein Veblen (1857–1929); Chapter 2 The Mistaken Marginality of the “Man from Mars”; Chapter 3 Beyond the Myth of Marginality: Ethnicity and Evolutionism; Chapter 4 Evolutionary Change: Back to the Future?; Chapter 5 The Conspicuous Conservation of Leisure Class Culture; Chapter 6 The Problem: Predatory Institutions; Chapter 7 The Solution: Workmanship Institutions; Chapter 8 Conclusions;