Sociologický ústav AV ČR, v.v.i.

Klíčová slova: sociální třídy, okázalá spotřeba, kultura materiální nezbytnosti

The author deals with the question whether conspicuous consumption and its antipole taste of necessity differs among social classes in the Czech Republic. First the paper discusses the theoretical implications of consumption as differentiating mechanism contributing to the
collective identity of social class. In the second part the author analyses differences in (in)conspicuous consumption (preferences for branded vs. unbranded goods) among social classes ABCDE on the data from representative survey MML TGI 2004. The results show the
significant relationship between social classes in both domains underpinned by influence of education level and household income. Nevertheless, there are other influences of conspicuous consumption and taste of necessity, namely connections with gender and age.
The subpopulation of pensioners analyzed separately proved to be stratified as well as aged 21-60. Finally, consequences for increasing legitimacy of wealth and inequality in the Czech Republic are discussed.