The Sum Of Small Things: A Theory Of The Aspirational Class

In todayÆs world, the leisure class has been replaced by a new elite. Highly educated and defined by cultural capital rather than income bracket, these individuals earnestly buy organic, carry canvas tote bags, and breast-feed their babies. They care about discreet, inconspicuous consumptionùlike eating free-range chicken and heirloom tomatoes, wearing organic cotton shirts and TOMS shoes, and listening to the latest podcast. They use their purchasing power to hire nannies and housekeepers, to cultivate their childrenÆs growth, and to practice yoga and Pilates. In The Sum of Small Things, Elizabeth Currid-Halkett dubs this new elite ôthe aspirational classö and discusses how, through deft decisions about education, health, parenting, and retirement, they reproduce wealth and upward mobility, deepening the ever-wider class divide. With a rich narrative and extensive interviews and research, The Sum of Small Things illustrates how cultural capital leads to lifestyle shifts and examines what these changes will mean for everyone.

• | Author: Elizabeth Currid-Halkett
• | Publisher: Princeton University Press
• | Publication Date: Oct 23, 2018
• | Number of Pages: 272 pages
• | Language: English
• | Binding: Paperback/Self-Help
• | ISBN-10: 0691183171
• | ISBN-13: 9780691183176