The Sum of Small Things, by Elizabeth Currid-Halkett is one of the most thought provoking books i’ve read in a while. It defines the new aspiration class that is defined by a different kind of consumption. The book challenged my understanding of why I consume what I consume and how it defines me. I’ve tried to summarize the book in this post.
We think consumption is always linked to needs or desires but in reality it is a signalling device. It is a way to show others who we are and what we stand for. It is a way to show our identity, values, status, beliefs, personality, aspirations, political leanings, and so much more. It helps us create an idea of us and thereby create an other.
The book talks about conspicuous and inconsipcuous consumption. Conspicuous consumption is the consumption of goods and services that are meant to be seen and noticed by others. Inconspicuous consumption is the consumption of basic goods that are private. The book explains how conspicuous consumption goes beyond the traditional definition of luxury goods and services. Good table manners, for example, are also a type of conspicuous consumption because it takes time to build those habits and is a way to signal your social standing. Same goes for going to a specific school, or having a specific accent, or having a specific taste in music, books, art, fitness, etc.
How or why we consume something is also largely out of our conscious control. The city we live in, the peer group we move about in, our job, our education levels, etc, all play a larger than life role in our consumption patterns. For example, people in New York City spend almost 50% more on fashion than any other city in the US. This is driven by the fact that New York is the fashion capital of the US and people in the city are more likely to be influenced by fashion trends. Similarly, people in San Francisco spend more on fitness than any other city in the US. This is driven by the fact that San Francisco is the tech capital of the US and people in the city are more likely to be influenced by fitness trends than fashion.
The consumer class was defined by conspicuous consumption, generally propelled by economic mobility and income. People in the consumer class showed their wellbeing by consuming specific goods and services (branded luxury goods and memberships to exclusive clubs, etc). These affluent elite were marked by consumption of Veblen goods, goods for which demand increases as the price increases. Veblen goods are typically high-quality goods that are well made, exclusive, and act as status symbols.
The new aspirational class is marked by knowledge and specific societal behaviors like veganism, volunteerism, reading the NY Times, etc, in their attempts to become better humans
Aspirational class consumption may often be more expensive like buying from the farmers market but it is ultimately not a requirement but rather a means to signal social belonging. The new age conspicuous consumption doesn’t always shy away from capitalism. It in fact, focuses on bringing the production process front and center and allow people to show their status by consumption. In short, the story of the good becomes more important than its quality or price. This is why the aspirational class is happy to pay a dollar for an egg provided they like the way the farmer treats his chicken.
One of the intricacies of the aspirational class or the new elite, is their greed to have a return on their leisure time. When people choose to go to a specific fitness class or buy expensive fitness wear like lululemon, they make a commitment to use their leisure time in a certain way. When they watch a specific show or film or attend an opera, they are signalling a certain taste.
The rise of the aspirational class is mostly a function of what the author calls post scarcity. The consumption of eco friendly goods and practices are a result of post scarcity environment. The fact that we have the luxury of choice is what allows people to signal their status. In terms of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, it is in today’s world of plenty that we can self actualise. The aspirational class is not fueled by economic mobility but rather by cultural capital.
Cultural capital is the knowledge and skills required to navigate the world. It is the ability to understand and appreciate the nuances of the world. It is the ability to understand the difference between a $10 wine and a $100 wine, between a $1000 handbag and a $100 handbag, between a handcrafted artisanal product and a mass produced factory item and so on. It is having the wherewithall to both, understand the need to care about the environment and to show that you do.
Going into hole-in-the-wall restaurants or buying tomatoes at the farmers market are both types of cultural capital acquired by reading a specific newspaper or belonging to a certain interest group. The cultural capital is used by the elite to distribute opportunities just as regular capital was used before. What nail polish color to wear, how many books to carry to the classroom, which newspapers to read and discuss are all examples of cultural capital of the form of knowledge acquired by staying in touch with ones peer group or behaving in a certain way. These behaviours appear costless but are actually a result of slugging it out in a certain peer group.
We assume every decision a person makes (esp when it comes to health or parenting) is a moral choice (why is that person fat, why aren’t they culturally more aware, why are they feeding fast food to their kids, etc) but often times these decisions emanate from constraints either financial or time or awareness; which itself is borne out of a lack of investment of time. A working class person cannot afford healthy food for their children who often waste most of the food given to them. They cannot spend time to attend pilate classes or read the new yorker either. Often times working mothers don’t have the time or energy to breastfeed their children after a 14 hour workdays and so they choose to use formula.
We look up to women taking time off from work to breast feed their children or pursue “attachment therapy”, with sympathy but we look down on an expensive hermes bag, but the reality is that both these actions are,
Judging others on the basis of their actions or inactions, but remaining ignorant of their constraints, is therefore stupid.
This books introduced me to the term Bobos - Bohemian Bourgeois, which probably perfectly sums up quite a lot of my consumption patterns. The term was introduced into the English language by the cultural commentator #DavidBrooks to describe the 1990s descendants of the yuppies in the book Bobos in Paradise (2000). Brooks describes Bobos as “highly educated folk who have one foot in the bohemian world of creativity and another foot in the bourgeois realm of ambition and worldly success. People who spend money to look simple can also be termed as Bobos.
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