Consumer Culture: History, Theory and Politics

by Roberta Sassatelli

We are inescapably confronted by ′consumer society′ and ′consumer culture′: the inexhaustible world of goods and the declarations that we are born to consume and are defined by our consumption. But do we know what this really means – and is it so simple?

Showing the cultural and institutional processes that have brought the notion of the ′consumer′ to life, this book guides the reader on a comprehensive journey through the history of how we have come to understand ourselves as consumers in a consumer society and reveals the profound ambiguities and ambivalences inherent within. Rooted in sociology, Roberta Sassatelli also draws on history, anthropology, geography, and economics to
A history of the rise of consumer culture around the world A richly illustrated analysis of theory from neo-classical economics, to critical theory, to theories of practice and ritual de-commoditization A compelling discussion of the politics underlying our consumption practices
An exemplary introduction to the history and theory of consumer culture, this book provides nuanced answers to some of the most central questions of our time. Consumer Culture will be essential reading for students and researchers in the many disciplines that now study consumer culture, including sociology, cultural studies and history.

Genres: Sociology

248 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

Reviews

[H · Rating 1 out of 5]

Absolutely diabolical read. Had to read chapter 7 for one of my undergraduate modules - which is ironic as I neither major in history, politics or philosophy.
The author attempts to appear painstakingly abstract in every sentence just to deliver or convey an argument, often by utilising very specialized terms and offering no clarification to what those terms may mean, which is almost incomprehensible to any lay person.
It’s indubitably hair-splitting, horrendous and angering to continue reading through at times.
I’d much rather read Harry Potter than this piece of awful garbage by Roberta Sassatelli.

[Công Anh (Cat) · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting book that gives an interesting, albeit complex, summary of the development of consumption theory dating back to the industrial revolution. The book is, however, quite western-centric and some of the chapters will be extremely hard to read because of the heavy academic and philosophical terms that are not clearly defined by the author, so not recommended to everyone.

[Sara Pisciottu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Molto interessante e viene affrontato in modo tecnico e teorico tutto il mondo della società dei consumi, dalla nascita fino ad oggi. Consigliato soprattutto per studi sociologici o di marketing

[Beatrice · Rating 3 out of 5]

argomenti top, stile di scrittura flop

[Rebecca Radnor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Is split into 3 subsections, History, cultural theory and political implications of consumer culture. VERY hard read, as in really not good for students who don't have a stellar grasp of the English language (and that includes most US college students). I'm a mid 40's Ph.D and I had a bit of struggle following it because of the complexity of the embedded sentence structures and the use of words so obscure that they will probably never show up on an SAT exam. I'm just starting my education in the field (my school wants me to teach it), but its discussions of history and anthropological theory (both my areas) correlate to what I already sort of knew -- but had never focused on directly. Lots of Pierre Bourdieu, Jean Baudrillard etc for the theory parts, discussions of consumerism not really existing as a cultural phenomena till the colonial age (1650's), the interplay between people and things, constructions of personal identity, how local cultures shift the meaning and usage of items, how even McD's is forced to modify to local markets, etc.

A good read for a phd type wanting to dive into the deep end, but not really good for the average student (I think they're response will be to just stop reading and show up unprepared)

[Rebecca Radnor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Is split into 3 subsections, History, cultural theory and political implications of consumer culture. VERY hard read, as in really not good for students who don't have a stellar grasp of the English language (and that includes most US college students). I'm a mid 40's Ph.D and I had a bit of struggle following it because of the complexity of the embedded sentence structures and the use of words so obscure that they will probably never show up on an SAT exam. I'm just starting my education in the field (my school wants me to teach it), but its discussions of history and anthropological theory (both my areas) correlate to what I already sort of knew -- but had never focused on directly. Lots of Pierre Bourdieu, Jean Baudrillard etc for the theory parts, discussions of consumerism not really existing as a cultural phenomena till the colonial age (1650's), the interplay between people and things, constructions of personal identity, how local cultures shift the meaning and usage of items, how even McD's is forced to modify to local markets, etc.

A good read for a phd type wanting to dive into the deep end, but not really good for the average student (I think they're response will be to just stop reading and show up unprepared)

[Joel Ala · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is just testing the review system on goodreads.