Conspicuous and vicarious consumption in (e)sports: the potential Т. Veblen’s theory of the leisure class

Authors

  • Igor V. Mirontsov Belarusian State University, 4 Niezaliežnasci Avenue, Minsk 220030, Belarus

Keywords:

vicarious consumption, conspicuous consumption, T. Veblen, cybersports, eSports, sociology of sport, electronic sports, videogames, computer games

Abstract

Starting with T. Veblen’s theory of the Leisure Class specific mechanisms of the acquisition and distribution of material and symbolic goods in the sports and eSports industry are considered in this article on the practical examples. Simultaneously, a qualitative expansion and deepening of the classical concept of Vicarious Consumption is proposed, presented by the author in the form of a multistage sequential system.

Author Biography

  • Igor V. Mirontsov, Belarusian State University, 4 Niezaliežnasci Avenue, Minsk 220030, Belarus

    postgraduate student at the department of sociology, faculty of philosophy and social sciences

References

  1. Timothy J. Bergen, Jr. The Sociological Mind of Thorstein Veblen. J. Thought. 1973. Vol. 8, No. 3. P. 224–233. URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/42588371 (date of access: 04.05.2018).
  2. Veblen T. The Theory of the Leisure Class. Harvard : B. W. Huebsih, 1899. Russ. ed. : Veblen T. Teoriya prazdnogo klassa. Moscow : Progress, 1984 (in Russ.)
  3. Nancy Y. W., Aaron C. A. Personal taste and family face: Luxury consumption in Confucian and Western societies. Psychol. Marketing. 1998. Vol. 15, No. 5. P. 423–441. DOI: 10.1002/(SICI)1520-6793(199808)15:5<423::AID-MAR2>3.0.CO;2-9.
  4. Wiedmann K. P., Hennigs N., Siebels A. Value-based segmentation of luxury consumption behavior. Psychol. Marketing. 2009. Vol. 26, No. 7. P. 625–651. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.20292.
  5. Han Y. J., Nunes J. C., Drèze X. Signaling status with luxury goods: The role of brand prominence. J. Marketing. 2010. Vol. 74, No. 4. P. 15–30. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1509/jmkg.74.4.15.
  6. Bagwell L. S., Bernheim B. D. Veblen effects in a theory of conspicuous consumption. Am. Econ.c Rev. 1996. Vol. 86, No. 3. P. 349–373.
  7. Smith L. Thorstein Veblen on Sports in America. Social Text. 1986. No. 16. P. 176–183.

Downloads

Published

2019-03-15

How to Cite

[1]
Mirontsov, I.V. 2019. Conspicuous and vicarious consumption in (e)sports: the potential Т. Veblen’s theory of the leisure class. Journal of the Belarusian State University. Sociology. 2 (Mar. 2019), 167–172.