Sri Lankan fishermen once emulated middle-class status by buying unusable televisions

Evidence

When ice first became available in Sri Lanka, fishermen were finally able to sell their catch in urban markets. With rising incomes, many decided to emulate their middle-class superiors by buying televisions. They proudly placed the new TV sets in the very center of their huts—in villages that lacked electricity. — W. David Marx, Status and Culture, 185

Categorization

• CANDY: A vivid, self-contained anecdote: fishermen buying TVs for status in villages without electricity is perfect elevator-conversation material.
• SHARE: Worth sending to anyone interested in status signaling or consumer behavior anthropology as a textbook illustration of symbol over function.