A Primer for Daily Life

by Susan Willis

The interacting components of everyday life - the weekly supermarket shopping trip, fast food, children's toys - are still largely unremarked by cultural theorists. Grounded in Marxist theory, and guided by feminism, Susan Willis' study of the consumer culture broadens the scope of cultural studies to introduce the notion of daily life, with the commodity at its centre. Willis pays particular attention to the influence of commodity fetishism on social relations. Her investigation includes the taken for granted phenomena of modern culture - Barbie dolls, plastic packaging, banana sticker logos and the aerobic workout. "A Primer For Daily Life" demonstrates that the trivial is crucial for our understanding of capitalist culture, and argues for the necessary development of a critical perspective on daily life. This book should be of interest to students and teachers of cultural studies and women's studies.

Genres: Cultural Studies

185 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1991

Reviews

[Meredyth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really great book with some very interesting articles that more people should read. Too bad it's out of print!

[Funda Guzer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tüketim toplumu çok iyi anlatılmış 👍🏻zaman değişse de insan davranışları hiç değişmiyor sanki :/ geleceğe umut ile bakmayı diliyorum.

[Adrian · Rating 3 out of 5]

An intriguing exploration of how daily life has evolved, and the philosophical and ethical implications of those changes within modern capitalist society. I read it in preparation for my move to North Carolina and my new role at Duke University, and found its insights both timely and thought-provoking.