Practices of Consumption: Cohesion and Distinction within a Globally Wealthy Group
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An ongoing debate in the literature is around the existence and constitution of a so-called ‘global elite’. This article enters that debate – seeking to understand what connected but also divided a group of wealthy young people occupying a transnational space. It examines consumptive practices at one of the most expensive secondary schools in the world, educating a cross-section of the globally wealthy in Switzerland. The article offers insights into the boredom that pervaded this group, shaping some of the consumptive practices that bound its members. It also argues that other consumptive practices reflected consciously articulated differences within this group, such as national- and linguistic-based social groupings. The case study offers a unique opportunity to examine consumption as a lens onto cohesion and distinction within a particular group of transnationally located, wealthy young people, thus contributing to scholarship around the nature of the ‘global elite’ at large.
Original language | English |
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Journal | Sociology |
ISSN | 0038-0385 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | E-pub ahead of print - 17 Oct 2023 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:
The authors disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship and/or publication of this article: this research was funded by the ESRC doctoral training programme.
Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2023.
- boredom, consumption, elite school, global elite, transnational, wealth
Research areas
ID: 370792134