Question: how is the phenomenon of keeping up with the joneses a distinctly american concept

title: Keeping up with the Joneses
text: Social status once depended on one 's family name ; however , the rise of consumerism in the United States gave rise to social mobility . With the increasing availability of goods , people became more inclined to define themselves by what they possessed and the subtle quest for higher status accelerated . Conspicuous consumption and materialism have been an insatiable juggernaut ever since . The desire to increase one 's position in the social hierarchy is responsible for much of the social mobility in America . The upward mobility over the past few decades in America is due in part to the large number of women joining the labor force . U.S. women have slowly and steadily increased their participation in the labor force from 46 % of all women ( age 16 + ) in 1974 to almost 60 % in 2004 . 

Answer: answer: Social status once depended on one's family name; however, the rise of consumerism in the United States gave rise to social mobility. The desire to increase one's position in the social hierarchy is responsible for much of the social mobility in America. Conspicuous consumption and materialism have been an insatiable juggernaut ever since.