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Presenting case studies of well-known shows including Will and
Grace, Birds of a Feather, Sex and the City and Absolutely
Fabulous, as well as 'reality' television, this book examines the
transformations that have occurred in consumer society since its
appearance and the ways in which these have been constructed and
represented in popular media imagery. With analyses of the ways in
which consumerism has played out in society, Consumerism on TV
highlights specific aspects of the changing nature of consumerism
by way of considerations of gender, sexuality and class, as well as
less definable changes such as those to do with the celebration of
ostentatious greed or the righteousness of the 'ethical' shopper.
With attention to the highly delineated consumer field in which
'shopping' as an embedded practice of everyday life is caught
between escapism and politics, authors explore a variety of themes,
such as the extent to which consumerism has become embedded in
forging identity, the positing of consumerism as a form of
activism, the visibility of the gay male consumer and invisibility
of the lesbian consumer, and the (re)stratification of consumer
types along class lines. An engaging invitation to consider whether
the positioning of consumerism through on-screen depictions is
indicative of a new type of non-philosophical politics of 'choice'
- a form of marketised, (a)political pragmatism - this book will
appeal to scholars and students of sociology and cultural and media
studies, with interests in class, consumption and gender.
Presenting case studies of well-known shows including Will and
Grace, Birds of a Feather, Sex and the City and Absolutely
Fabulous, as well as 'reality' television, this book examines the
transformations that have occurred in consumer society since its
appearance and the ways in which these have been constructed and
represented in popular media imagery. With analyses of the ways in
which consumerism has played out in society, Consumerism on TV
highlights specific aspects of the changing nature of consumerism
by way of considerations of gender, sexuality and class, as well as
less definable changes such as those to do with the celebration of
ostentatious greed or the righteousness of the 'ethical' shopper.
With attention to the highly delineated consumer field in which
'shopping' as an embedded practice of everyday life is caught
between escapism and politics, authors explore a variety of themes,
such as the extent to which consumerism has become embedded in
forging identity, the positing of consumerism as a form of
activism, the visibility of the gay male consumer and invisibility
of the lesbian consumer, and the (re)stratification of consumer
types along class lines. An engaging invitation to consider whether
the positioning of consumerism through on-screen depictions is
indicative of a new type of non-philosophical politics of 'choice'
- a form of marketised, (a)political pragmatism - this book will
appeal to scholars and students of sociology and cultural and media
studies, with interests in class, consumption and gender.
Following the journey of eight bargain store objects, Alison Hulme
reveals the complex story behind society's simplest and cheapest
commodities. Inspired by Walter Benjamin's Arcades Project, On the
Commodity Trail explores the colourful and fascinating histories of
everyday objects.Along the way, we observe raw materials on
municipal rubbish dumps in China, newly re-made products in the
world's largest wholesale market, and take a journey across the
seas, to bargain stores in Europe and North America, arriving
finally in the homes of consumers. Weaving together narratives from
the people we meet at different parts of the commodity chain -
waste peddlers, wholesalers, store owners, and shoppers - the book
examines the places and people at the heart of these localized yet
immense global networks.Unlike other investigations of commodity
chains, this study does not chart a straightforward trajectory from
production to consumption. Instead, it demonstrates that the
low-end commodity chain is one of constant rupture in which
products are made and re-made, blurring the dividing line between
producing and consuming.An ethnography of material culture as well
as an examination of commodity culture at a time of economic
downturn, this deeply-engrossing book makes a unique contribution
to our understanding of commodity chains and consumer culture.
This book surveys 'thrift' through its moral, religious, ethical,
political, spiritual and philosophical expressions, focussing in on
key moments such as the early Puritans and Post-war rationing, and
key characters such as Benjamin Franklin, Samuel Smiles and Henry
Thoreau. The relationships between thrift and frugality,
mindfulness, sustainability, and alternative consumption practices
are explained, and connections made between myriad conceptions of
thrift and contemporary concerns for how consumer cultures impact
scarce resources, wealth distribution, and the Anthropocene.
Ultimately, the book returns the reader to an understanding of
thrift as it was originally used - to 'thrive' - and attempts to
re-cast thrift in more collective, economically egalitarian terms,
reclaiming it as a genuinely resistant practice. -- .
Following the journey of eight bargain store objects, Alison Hulme
reveals the complex story behind society's simplest and cheapest
commodities. Inspired by Walter Benjamin's Arcades Project, On the
Commodity Trail explores the colourful and fascinating histories of
everyday objects.Along the way, we observe raw materials on
municipal rubbish dumps in China, newly re-made products in the
world's largest wholesale market, and take a journey across the
seas, to bargain stores in Europe and North America, arriving
finally in the homes of consumers. Weaving together narratives from
the people we meet at different parts of the commodity chain -
waste peddlers, wholesalers, store owners, and shoppers - the book
examines the places and people at the heart of these localized yet
immense global networks.Unlike other investigations of commodity
chains, this study does not chart a straightforward trajectory from
production to consumption. Instead, it demonstrates that the
low-end commodity chain is one of constant rupture in which
products are made and re-made, blurring the dividing line between
producing and consuming.An ethnography of material culture as well
as an examination of commodity culture at a time of economic
downturn, this deeply-engrossing book makes a unique contribution
to our understanding of commodity chains and consumer culture.
Consumerism in China has developed rapidly. "The Changing Landscape
of China's Consumerism" looks at the growth of consumerism in China
from both a socio-economic and a political/cultural angle. It
examines changing trends in consumption in China as well as the
impact of these trends on society, and the politics and culture
surrounding them. It examines the ways in which, despite needing to
"unlock" the spending power of the rural provinces, the Chinese
authorities are also keen to maintain certain attitudes towards the
Communist Party and socialism "with Chinese Characteristics."
Overall, it aims to show that consumerism in China today is both an
economic and political phenomenon and one which requires both
surrounding political culture and economic trends for its continued
establishment. The ways in which this dual relationship both
supports and battles with itself are explored through apposite case
studies including the use of New Confucianism in the market
context, the commodification of Lei Feng, the new Chinese tourist
as a diplomatic tool in consumption, the popularity of Shanzhai
(fake product) culture, and the conspicuous consumption of China's
new middle class.
Provides innovative interdisciplinary research, useful to cultural
studies, sociology, Chinese studies, and politicsExamines changes
in consumerism from multiple perspectivesAllows both micro and
macro insights into consumerism in China by providing specific case
studies, while placing these within the context of geo-politics and
grand theory
This book surveys 'thrift' through its moral, religious, ethical,
political, spiritual and philosophical expressions, focussing in on
key moments such as the early Puritans and Post-war rationing, and
key characters such as Benjamin Franklin, Samuel Smiles and Henry
Thoreau. The relationships between thrift and frugality,
mindfulness, sustainability, and alternative consumption practices
are explained, and connections made between myriad conceptions of
thrift and contemporary concerns for how consumer cultures impact
scarce resources, wealth distribution, and the Anthropocene.
Ultimately, the book returns the reader to an understanding of
thrift as it was originally used - to 'thrive' - and attempts to
re-cast thrift in more collective, economically egalitarian terms,
reclaiming it as a genuinely resistant practice. -- .
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