Bobos in Paradise: The New Upper Class and How They Got There

The aesthetics within each taste world are not random but map to the social needs of the individuals — e.g. the wealthy prefer goods that signal capital and privilege, while countercultures advocate conventions and beliefs antithetical to the current class structure.

According to French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu, poor people are more practical about their tastes, prioritizing accessibility and entertainment, seeking out things for their utility more than for what liking a thing can say about their personality or pursuit of knowledge.

The new knowledge economy created a new class of Americans: men and women with college degrees (at the very least), skilled with symbols and numbers, salaried professionals in information technology, scientific research, design, management consulting, the upper civil service, financial analysis, medicine, law, journalism, the arts, higher education

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