The Price of Prestige

conclusions 159

become insensitive to other forms of capital. This study overcomes this

shortcoming by identifying two forms of utility: material and social. Once

we break the concept of utility into its material and social components, we

find that each type interacts differently with cost. Primary utility, which

is defined in material terms, follows a straightforward economic logic

and shows a decline in demand when faced with an increase in cost. Sec-

ondary utility, which is defined in social terms, follows the logic of costly

signals and consequently shows an increase in demand as the price goes

up. Thus, contrary to the predictions of demand theory, we see a decline in

the attractiveness of peacekeeping operations because the cost of partici-

pating in such missions is proven to be too low. Conversely, we can observe

a competition over who gets to send transit observation missions to the

most inhospitable and expensive locations. As the conspicuous consump-

tion theory predicts, when prestige- seeking behavior is at play, a decline

in cost leads to a decline in demand, and vice versa. Models that do not

address the implications of secondary- utility calculations are therefore

likely to lead to false predictions.

There is, therefore, a need for serious theorizing on the nature of util-

ity in international relations and the way in which utility- based models

should be constructed and operationalized within the international con-

text. The material /social divide is not the only possible typological distinc-

tion that can be adopted for the study of utility. The prosociality chapter,

for example, uses a distinction between a consumption utility and a vi-

carious utility. These types of alternative distinctions should be explored

inasmuch as they have empirical consequences for the study of interna-

tional relations. The process of problematizing the components of the

rationalist model is likely to improve the empirical traction of the theory

and enable a better dialogue and synthesis between rational choice and

competing or complementary theoretical approaches. It is an essential

and overdue step in the formation of a richer and more robust application

of rational choice to international relations.

Analyzing conspicuous consumption as a rational phenomenon raises

two additional important issues that require further elaboration. First,

throughout this study I referred to primary and secondary utilities in or-

der to distinguish material /instrumental utility from a social /communica-

tive one. While true to Veblen’s original terminology, the use of “primary”

and “secondary” in order to denote the differences between these utilities

can be misleading because it seems to suggest a theoretical bias toward

material explanations. Yet as I demonstrate, “secondary” does not mean