A Study of the Growth of American Families
Field work has been completed for a national sample study of the growth of American families. Its objectives are: (1) to study expectations of size of family as one basis for better forecasts of births; (2) to describe differences in fertility behavior for major population strata; and (3) to test the relationship of basic social variables to fertility behavior. A national probability sample of white married women in the childbearing years has been interviewed and field work has been completed. The response rate was high.
In 1899 Thorstein Veblen wrote a seminal monograph on the subject of consumption and leisure. ::: His work, The Theory of the Leisure Class, is one of the most enduring examples of status-seeking ::: individuals� conspicuous consumption and conspicuous leisure practices, particularly when applied ::: to the tourist industry, and furthermore, is still relevant in today�s economic climate. This article ::: develops an independent theory of backpackers and how they can be perceived as undertaking ::: conspicuous consumption and conspicuous leisure practices. This is done using Veblen�s work as ::: a foundation. Qualitative methods using in-depth interviews and participant observation techniques ::: are employed to obtain data from 41 participants. The findings serve to highlight the fact that ::: Veblen�s thesis is as relevant today as it was when it was written in 1899.