Prole drift
Prole drift, short for proletarian drift, is a trend in which products, styles or other aspects of culture previously considered to be upscale or upper class become popular among working class people. The term was coined by Paul Fussell in 1983 to describe the phenomenon of most aspects of high culture eventually joining the lowest common denominator.[1]
Examples include sales of premium coffee, Burberry clothing or Coach Inc. handbags to working class people. In the UK, BMW cars (particularly the 3 series) have seen this phenomenon, in some instances the 3 series outselling more mainstream cars such as the Ford Mondeo and Vauxhall Vectra. Another example in the UK is that of BlackBerry mobile phones; these have become increasingly popular with young people after having previously been popular among business people.
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[edit] References
- ^ Fussell, Paul (October 1983). Class, A Guide Through the American Status System. New York: Ballantine. ISBN 0-345-31816-1.
