Conspicuous leisure: The social visibility of cultural experiences

Recent research shows that people not only visit a cultural event because of the quality of what is offered, but also to show something of their personality to relevant reference groups. This “signaling-by-cultural-experiences” can be considered as another variant of conspicuous consumption. The term was coined more than 100 years ago, but some recent developments in consumer behavior, such as a shift from material to immaterial purchases and...