“SubtlyalteredhowIseetheworld.“--MichelleGoldberg,NewYorkTimes“[StatusandCulture]consistentlypositstheoriesI’dneverpreviouslyconsideredthatinstantlyfeelobvious.“--ChuckKlosterman,authorofTheNineties“Whyareyouthewaythatyouare?StatusandCultureexplainsnearlyeverythingaboutthethingsyouchoosetobe--andhowthesocietyweliveintakesshapeintheprocess.“--B.J.Novak,writerandactorSolvingthelong-standingmysteriesofculture--fromtheoriginofourtastesandidentities,totheperpetualcyclesoffashionsandfads--throughacarefulexplorationofthefundamentalhumandesireforstatusAllhumansshareaneedtosecuretheirsocialstanding,andthisuniversalmotivationstructuresourbehavior,formsourtastes,determineshowwelive,andultimatelyshapeswhoweare.Wecanusestatus,then,toexplainwhysomethingsbecome“cool,“howstylisticinnovationsarise,andwhythereareconstantchangesinclothing,music,food,sports,slang,travel,hairstyles,andevendogbreeds.InStatusandCulture,W.DavidMarxweavestogetherthewisdomfromhistory,psychology,sociology,anthropology,economics,philosophy,linguistics,semiotics,culturaltheory,literarytheory,arthistory,mediastudies,andneurosciencetodemonstrateexactlyhowindividualstatusseekingcreatesourculturalecosystem.Marxexaminesthreefundamentalquestions:Whydoindividualsclusteraroundarbitrarybehaviorsandtakedeepmeaningfromthem?Howdodistinctstyles,conventions,andsensibilitiesemerge?Whydowechangebehaviorsovertimeandwhydosomebehaviorsstickaround?Theanswersthenprovidenewperspectivesforunderstandingtheseeming“weightlessness“ofinternetculture.StatusandCultureisabookthatwillappealtobusinesspeople,students,creators,andanyonewhohaseverwonderedwhythingsbecomepopular,whytheirownpreferenceschangeovertime,andhowidentityplaysoutincontemporarysociety.Readersofthisbookwillwalkawaywithdeepandlastingknowledgeoftheoftensecretrulesofhowculturereallyworks.
psychology economics FOOD anthropology TRAVEL sports COOL music CREATORS STATUS HAIRSTYLES
