Final answer:
The concepts of taste and class are interlinked, influencing perceptions and leading to taste-driven and statistical discrimination. Personal preferences are subjective, a fact recognized in cultural expressions, but economists also consider practical factors like income and prices in understanding consumer behavior.
Step-by-step explanation:
People's ideas about taste and class actively shape the realities of both. As individuals, we often make judgments and assumptions based on our personal tastes and the tastes we observe in others. These predilections can lead to different forms of discrimination, such as taste-driven discrimination and statistical discrimination. Taste-driven discrimination involves biases based on subjective preferences, while statistical discrimination is based on assumptions about groups in the absence of complete information. Over time, individuals may adjust these assumptions with new evidence, but ingrained prejudices can persist, reinforcing these discriminatory behaviors.
These ideas are culturally embedded, as expressions like the French 'Chacun à son goût' and the Latin 'De gustibus non est disputandum' suggest; personal preferences are inherently subjective and not easily challenged. Conversely, economists face the challenge of understanding consumer choices within this framework. They recognize that while personal tastes are significant, economic choices are also influenced by income levels, prices, and living conditions. Ultimately, this understanding forms the basis of economic theories related to consumer behavior, taking into account the complex interplay between taste, class, and economic factors.