What is Conspicious Consumption

This chapter adresses the issue of consumption from a sociological perspective and focuses primarily on the emergence of consumer society in Turkey by making use of the historical data in the literature as well as of arguments of some prominent thinkers on the subject, such as Baudrillard, Simmel, and Veblen. Following this general point of view, the author goes further, delving into the significant points of modern consumer culture in Turkey. To this aim, the rise of consumer culture in the country and the unique role of mass media and of the places of consumption in the spreading of this new lifestyle are discussed.