Imitation

The imitation was developed in sociology in 1890 by Gabriel Tarde as a central concept.

Tarde's fundamental observation was that the social exclusion Rising on the part of ruling elites causes including standing upper-class social groups to at least imitate attributes of their lifestyle - attitudes, fashions, resorts, sports such as polo, golf and the like.

This tendency encountered in corporatist societies organized by the French aristocracy in the 18th century by procured prohibitions ( the citizens was the noble blue prohibited, for example, as a dress color, it gave way to dark green off). Since this is no longer possible to vacate ruling groups by the addition of new, often more expensive lifestyle attributes the field, which leads to conspicuous consumption ( by Thorstein Veblen ), or closing their social networks of parvenus.

In the sociology of youth in 1976 by Clausen " childish " of " youthful " acting as " imitative " ( " imitative ") was compared to " anticipatory activity" distinction.

René Girard's mimetic theory establishes a link between imitation and rivalry and violence.