David Brooks

David Brooks observes that the division between middle-class ambition, which is a characteristic of the young-upwardly-mobile professionals ("Yuppies") of the 1980s, and the ideology of the youth-oriented counterculture of the 1960s no longer exists, but has merged into the orientation of a new elite, the bourgeois bohemians. An example of this merging of attitudes and values is stated by Brooks as follows: "The Bobos have invaded the business world, and they have brought their countercultural framework with them to the old conference rooms of the bourgeoisie." Although there are capitalist bourgeois bohemians (whom Brooks calls "counterculture capitalists"), the majority of them are upper middle-class whose principle badges of distinction are their university education (and therefore called the "educated elite" by Brooks), and their membership in the baby boomer generation born during 1946-1964.

The 1960s youth-oriented counterculture rejected the mainstream as overly competitive, self-centered, and materialistic. Instead, hippies and other counterculturals favored a cooperative lifestyle in which "being" took precedence over "doing" and the capacity for personal growth--or "expanded consciousness"--was prized over material possessions like homes and cars. Such differences led some people at that time to "drop out" of the larger society. The counterculturalists were also known for their unconventional behavior, including dress, forms of greeting, and music. For instance, many expressed personal identity by wearing long hair, headbands, and blue jeans; from displaying a peace sign rather than offering a handshake; and from using drugs and listening to rock and roll music. These are some of the characteristics that are now mainstream and that the Bobos display in their careers, and styles of consumption.

Brooks traces the rise of the Bobos and delineates their bizarre hybrid culture. He documents how the combination of the values of the countercultural 1960s with the values of the achievement-oriented 1980s influence their attitudes toward morality, sex, work, and lifestyle, and influence politics. In his descriptions he relies on the major variables of stratification to explain his observations.

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