Why Did the German Bourgeoisie Imitate the Nobility?: a Rational-Choice-Analysis of Bourgeois Behavior in Wilhelmine Germany

Oliver Volckart

Homo Oeconomicus, 2002, vol. 18, 501-521

Abstract: In recent years, research often resorted to quantitative examinations in order to answer the question of whether and to what extent members of the bourgeoisie in Wilhelmine Germany imitated the nobility. As such studies disregard many non-quantifyable aspects of bourgeois behavior, it is here rather asked whether there was any reason for emulating aristocrats. Starting out from the assumption of rational utility maximation, the options members of the bourgeoisie had under the institutional conditions of imperial Germany are examined. The hypothesis of the paper is that a rational calculation of costs and benefits predictably led to the decision to imitate the nobility.

Date: 2002
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hom:homoec:v:18:y:2002:p:501-521

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