Lee, Jaehoon. 2011. “The Self, Interpersonal Relationships, and Conspicuous Behaviors:Consumption and Helping.” Order No. 3473370, The University of Texas at San Antonio. http://ezproxy.redlands.edu/docview/896114299?accountid=14729.

For this research exercise I used ProQuest to find my article. This article looks at social class differences within certain patterns of conspicuous consumption, as in selecting a gift. The author of this article, Jaehoon Lee, tests whether or not certain social classes have a larger tendency to purchase conspicuous gifts for other people or for themselves. The author concluded that this only happens when a conspicuous gift is associated with a certain social status. He also concluded that this happens due to a desire to gain a higher status and fit in with other lower class individuals who are trying to also portray a higher status. Lee stated that lower class individuals have stronger desires for status and conformity, as compared to more higher class individuals.

The article’s topic is social class differences and conspicuous consumption purchasing behaviors. The research question is, “What are the conspicuous shopping habits of lower class people when buying gifts for others?” To answer this question, the author needed to collect reports of acts, behavior, and events, as well as use demographic and financial data. The data gathering method that this author used is in-depth interviews as well as economic data, because he compared the amount individuals from different social classes spend on lavish celebrations like weddings. The method of data analysis is both quantitative and qualitative because the author analyzed reports of acts, behavior, and events, as well as analyzed numerical financial data. The financial and demographic data used is interval/ratio data. I think this research is logical and valid. I think the author was able to collect very insightful data and deep answers from people of different social classes, as well as analyze financial data, which resulted in reliable conclusions. Personally, I agree with what the author found about people of lower classes valuing status more than wealthier people. I also agree with the conclusion that conspicuous consumption is more crucial to lower social classes because it conveys a certain status to others. An interesting part of this article that surprised me was that the author found through his research that consumption patterns vary by cultural capital rather than by economic capital. Before reading this article I would have assumed it would be the opposite.