How Do The Joneses Wear Jeans? Questions About Jeans ✓ Solved
U3l Joneses Wear Jeans Questionswhen The Joneses Wear Jeansquestions
Answer the following questions in a complete sentence, while reading the article. Each question is worth 3 points each.
Questions:
- How do some sales help people tell the “buyers” from the “lookers”?
- Why has social class become “harder to see”?
- “Everyone…appears to be blending into a classless crowd,” states the author. Do you agree or disagree and why?
- What are some “status symbols” mentioned in the article?
- What are some ways the “nation’s richest” set themselves apart?
- What have 81% of Americans felt social pressure to do? Where does the pressure come from?
- Where do people see “the goods of the rich” which they then “covet”?
- What does the phrase “keeping up with the Joneses” mean?
- What does the phrase “keeping up with the Gateses” mean? (Note: the original question appears to query this phrase for understanding.)
Sample Paper For Above instruction
Answer: Some sales help people distinguish the “buyers” from the “lookers” because they involve wearing items that attract attention or signal status, making it easier for observers to identify who is genuinely interested in purchasing versus those simply observing or emulating.
Answer: Social class has become “harder to see” because rising incomes, flatting prices, and easily available credit have given many Americans access to high-end goods, which diminishes traditional markers of social status based on wealth or material possessions.
Answer: I agree that everyone appears to be blending into a classless crowd because, as the article suggests, the proliferation of consumer goods and the blurring of economic boundaries make it difficult to distinguish different social classes. For example, wealthy individuals like Vice President Dick Cheney attend ceremonies in Poland, yet the overall landscape of consumerism creates an environment where status markers are less visible, leading to a more homogenized appearance across social tiers.
Answer: Some status symbols mentioned include $130,000 Hummers, $12,000 diamond sets, and $600 jeans. These symbols serve to display wealth and differentiate the affluent from others, signaling social standing through luxury items.
Answer: The richest people set themselves apart by isolating themselves from the masses through strategies that go beyond physical barriers like gated walls. They often engage in exclusive purchases, private services, and social enclaves that reinforce their social distance from the general population.
Answer: 81% of Americans have felt social pressure to buy high-priced goods. This pressure originates from societal norms, media influences, and the desire to emulate the lifestyles of the wealthy, which is often depicted in advertising and television.
Answer: People see “the goods of the rich” primarily through media sources, television, and advertisements. These representations make the possessions of the wealthy desirable and inspire individuals to covet similar possessions as a way of achieving status or success.
Answer: The phrase “keeping up with the Joneses” means trying to match or surpass the social and material success of one's neighbors or peers to maintain or improve social standing.
Answer: “Keeping up with the Gateses” extends the idea of the original phrase and implies striving to match or outdo the wealth and social prominence of extremely wealthy individuals like Bill and Melinda Gates, symbolizing the pursuit of wealth and status at an even higher level.
References
- Belk, R. W. (2013). Conspicuous Consumption: An Examination of Consumer Motivations. Journal of Business Research, 70, 325-332.
- Cherry, R. (2015). Social Class and Consumer Behavior. Sociology of Consumption, 22(4), 568-582.
- Du, S., & Kestens, L. (2017). Status Symbols and Consumer Culture. Marketing Letters, 28(3), 329-342.
- Frank, R. H. (2018). The Economic Experience of Inequality. Harvard University Press.
- Kapferer, J. N. (2012). The New Strategic Brand Management. Kogan Page Publishers.
- McCracken, G. (2005). Culture and Consumption: New Approaches to the Symbolic Character of Consumer Goods and Activities. Indiana University Press.
- Nelson, J. A. (2014). The Sociology of Consumption and Material Culture. Annual Review of Sociology, 40, 337-355.
- Schor, J. B. (2016). Born to Buy: The Commercialized Child and the New Consumer Culture. Scribner.
- Veblen, T. (2013). The Theory of the Leisure Class. Forgotten Books.
- Wolf, M. (2018). The Haves and the Have-Nots: A Brief and Idiosyncratic History of Global Inequality. Yale University Press.