Download or read book The Romantic Ethic and the Spirit of Modern Consumerism written by Colin Campbell and published by WritersPrintShop. This book was released on 2005 with total page 316 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Romantic Ethic and the Spirit of Modern Consumerism was first published by Basil Blackwell of Oxford in 1987. A paperback edition appeared two years later, while in the following five years it was reprinted four times. However although the intervening years have seen the appearance of Italian, Portuguese, Slovenian and Chinese editions, no copies have been available in English since 1998. This Alcuin Academic edition has therefore been published in order to fill this gap, and more specifically to meet the needs of those academics and students who have contacted me over the past six or seven years in search of an English-language version of the book. Naturally I have considered writing a revised edition (which indeed some critics, as well as a few friends, have suggested is long overdue). -- Amazon.com.

Download or read book An All Consuming Century written by Gary Cross and published by Columbia University Press. This book was released on 2000-09-14 with total page 333 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The unqualified victory of consumerism in America was not a foregone conclusion. The United States has traditionally been the home of the most aggressive and often thoughtful criticism of consumption, including Puritanism, Prohibition, the simplicity movement, the '60s hippies, and the consumer rights movement. But at the dawn of the twenty-first century, not only has American consumerism triumphed, there isn't even an "ism" left to challenge it. An All-Consuming Century is a rich history of how market goods came to dominate American life over that remarkable hundred years between 1900 and 2000 and why for the first time in history there are no practical limits to consumerism. By 1930 a distinct consumer society had emerged in the United States in which the taste, speed, control, and comfort of goods offered new meanings of freedom, thus laying the groundwork for a full-scale ideology of consumer's democracy after World War II. From the introduction of Henry Ford's Model T ("so low in price that no man making a good salary will be unable to own one") and the innovations in selling that arrived with the department store (window displays, self service, the installment plan) to the development of new arenas for spending (amusement parks, penny arcades, baseball parks, and dance halls), Americans embraced the new culture of commercialism—with reservations. However, Gary Cross shows that even the Depression, the counterculture of the 1960s, and the inflation of the 1970s made Americans more materialistic, opening new channels of desire and offering opportunities for more innovative and aggressive marketing. The conservative upsurge of the 1980s and '90s indulged in its own brand of self-aggrandizement by promoting unrestricted markets. The consumerism of today, thriving and largely unchecked, no longer brings families and communities together; instead, it increasingly divides and isolates Americans. Consumer culture has provided affluent societies with peaceful alternatives to tribalism and class war, Cross writes, and it has fueled extraordinary economic growth. The challenge for the future is to find ways to revive the still valid portion of the culture of constraint and control the overpowering success of the all-consuming twentieth century.

Download or read book The Emotional Logic of Capitalism written by Martijn Konings and published by Stanford University Press. This book was released on 2015-05-27 with total page 185 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The capitalist market, progressives bemoan, is a cold monster: it disrupts social bonds, erodes emotional attachments, and imposes an abstract utilitarian rationality. But what if such hallowed critiques are completely misleading? This book argues that the production of new sources of faith and enchantment is crucial to the dynamics of the capitalist economy. Distinctively secular patterns of attraction and attachment give modern institutions a binding force that was not available to more traditional forms of rule. Elaborating his alternative approach through an engagement with the semiotics of money and the genealogy of economy, Martijn Konings uncovers capitalism's emotional and theological content in order to understand the paradoxical sources of cohesion and legitimacy that it commands. In developing this perspective, he draws on pragmatist thought to rework and revitalize the Marxist critique of capitalism.

Download or read book Somebody Else s Problem written by Robert Crocker and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2017-09-08 with total page 289 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Gold winner of the AXIOM Business Book Award in the category of Philanthropy, Non-Profit, Sustainability. Please see: http://www.axiomawards.com/77/award-winners/2017-winners Consumerism promises a shortcut to a 'better' life through the accumulation of certain fashionable goods and experiences. Over recent decades, this has resulted in a rising tide of cheap, short-lived goods produced, used and discarded in increasingly rapid cycles, along the way depleting resources and degrading environmental systems.Somebody Else’s Problem calls for a radical change in how we think about our material world, and how we design, make and use the products and services we need. Rejecting the idea that individuals alone are responsible for the environmental problems we face, it challenges us to look again at the systems, norms and values we take for granted in daily life, and their cumulative role in our environmental crisis.Robert Crocker presents an overview of the main forces giving rise to modern consumerism, looks closely at today’s accelerating consumption patterns and asks why older, more ‘custodial’ patterns of consumption are in decline. Avoiding simplistic quick-fix formulas, the book explores recommendations for new ways of designing, making and using goods and services that can reduce our excess consumption, but still contribute to a good and meaningful life.

Download or read book Consumerism in Twentieth Century Britain written by Matthew Hilton and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2003-11-13 with total page 404 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is the first comprehensive history of consumerism as an organised social and political movement. Matthew Hilton offers a groundbreaking account of consumer movements, ideologies and organisations in twentieth-century Britain. He argues that in organisations such as the Co-operative movement and the Consumers' Association individual concern with what and how we spend our wages led to forms of political engagement too often overlooked in existing accounts of twentieth-century history. He explores how the consumer and consumerism came to be regarded by many as a third force in society with the potential to free politics from the perceived stranglehold of the self-interested actions of employers and trade unions. Finally he recovers the visions of countless consumer activists who saw in consumption a genuine force for liberation for women, the working class and new social movements as well as a set of ideas often deliberately excluded from more established political organisations.

Download or read book Consumerism An Ambiguous Surge in the Modern Era Consumerism An Ambiguous Surge in the Modern Era UUM Press written by Nor Azila Mohd Noor and published by UUM Press. This book was released on 2024-04-14 with total page 114 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It is normal to see people acting irrationally when shopping in today’s consumer-driven culture. Many people fall into the trap of overconsumption, whether it is buying things they do not need or giving in to the temptation of never-ending deals. In addition to putting a burden on individual budgets, this phenomenon has a multiplicative effect on ecological decline and socioeconomic disparity. Reflecting on the repercussions of our choices and striving for more conscious and sustainable consumption habits are vital as we negotiate the intricacies of modern consumerism. Uncover the concealed influences that determine your purchasing behaviour in Consumerism: An Ambiguous Surge in the Modern Era. Author Nor Azila conducts a thought-provoking analysis, examining the psychological factors that drive our buying decisions and revealing the impact of marketing strategies, social influence, and cultural expectations. Nor Azila provides readers with practical advice and enlightening stories, enabling them to regain authority over their expenses and lead a more purposeful life. This is an essential book for anybody looking to negotiate the many complexities of contemporary commercial society with clear understanding and intention.

Download or read book The Consumer Society written by Neva R. Goodwin and published by Island Press. This book was released on 2013-04-16 with total page 427 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The developed countries, particularly the United States, consume a disproportionate share of the world's resources, yet high and rising levels of consumption do not necessarily lead to greater satisfaction, security, or well-being, even for affluent consumers. The Consumer Society provides brief summaries of the most important and influential writings on the environmental, moral, and social implications of a consumer society and consumer lifestyles. Each section consists of ten to twelve summaries of critical writings in a specific area, with an introductory essay that outlines the state of knowledge in that area and indicates where further research is needed. Sections cover: Scope and Definition Consumption in the Affluent Society Family, Gender, and Socialization The History of Consumerism Foundations of Economic Theories of Consumption Critiques and Alternatives in Economic Theory Perpetuating Consumer Culture: Media, Advertising, and Wants Creation Consumption and the Environment Globalization and Consumer Culture Visions of an Alternative This book is the second volume in the Frontier Issues in Economic Thought series, which provides surveys of the most significant writings in emergent areas of economics -- an invaluable aid in fast-growing fields where genuine new ground is being broken. The series brings together economists, sociologists, psychologists, and philosophers to develop analyses that challenge and enrich the dominant neoclassical paradigm. The Consumer Society is an essential guide to and summary of the literature of consumption and will be of interest to anyone concerned with the deeper economic, social, and ethical implications of consumerism.

Download or read book Rise of the Consumer in Modern China written by Wang Ning and published by Paths International Ltd. This book was released on 2012-12-01 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A unique and far-reaching study of China's contemporary social changes from the perspectives of consumption and consumerism.China has undergone profound social changes, with far-reaching consequences on all walks of life since reform began thirty years ago. To fully understand China's transformation, the landscape must be surveyed from the perspective of consumption, where you can find many intrinsic links between seemingly unrelated aspects of social reform.The Rise of the Consumer in Modern China is the result of a seven-year research campaign conducted by leading Chinese academic Wang Ning. Detailed and comprehensive, it cites numerous policy documents and source material generated from interviews, alongside data, expert commentary and conclusions. The transformation from asceticism to consumerism is a vital factor when considering China's economic and social reforms. Authoritative and richly detailed, this important new book offers a revealing and unique insight into a key aspect of China's opening up.During the most recent thirty years not only have there been revolutionary changes in consumer behavior, furthermore the role of consumption in driving the evolution of society has become un-ignorable. It is vital to study and analyze the changes in Chinese consumption before and after China's opening-up from a sociological perspective. This key book explores the Chinese urban consumption system and the evolution of the ideological concept of consumption by examining a huge number of governmental documents and records.

Download or read book Consumption and Consumer Society written by Colin Campbell and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2021-11-15 with total page 238 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This collection of high quality, largely previously published essays, analyses a range of controversies in the field of the sociology of culture and consumption. Campbell made a major contribution to the development of this field and he has a clear and coherent theoretical position which he employs to comment on interesting disputes among scholars seeking to understand consumer culture. Containing a brand new expansive essay reflecting on consumption in the age of a pandemic and drawing out some of the conceptual and practical implications of the relationship between wants and needs, science and norms, this synthesis will be an invaluable resource for students and researchers of consumption, consumer and cultural sociology.

Download or read book Consumerism in World History written by Peter N. Stearns and published by Psychology Press. This book was released on 2001 with total page 162 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The desire to acquire luxury goods and leisure services is a basic force in modern life. This work explores both the historical origins and world-wide appeal of this relatively modern phenomenon.

Download or read book Feed written by M. T. Anderson and published by Candlewick Press. This book was released on 2010-05-11 with total page 311 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Identity crises, consumerism, and star-crossed teenage love in a futuristic society where people connect to the Internet via feeds implanted in their brains. Winner of the LA Times Book Prize. For Titus and his friends, it started out like any ordinary trip to the moon - a chance to party during spring break and play around with some stupid low-grav at the Ricochet Lounge. But that was before the crazy hacker caused all their feeds to malfunction, sending them to the hospital to lie around with nothing inside their heads for days. And it was before Titus met Violet, a beautiful, brainy teenage girl who knows something about what it’s like to live without the feed-and about resisting its omnipresent ability to categorize human thoughts and desires. Following in the footsteps of George Orwell, Anthony Burgess, and Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., M. T. Anderson has created a brave new world - and a hilarious new lingo - sure to appeal to anyone who appreciates smart satire, futuristic fiction laced with humor, or any story featuring skin lesions as a fashion statement.

Download or read book The Making of Consumer Culture in Modern Britain written by Peter Gurney and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2017-05-18 with total page 285 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: CHOICE OUTSTANDING ACADEMIC TITLE AWARD WINNER 2018 It is commonly accepted that the consumer is now centre stage in modern Britain, rather than the worker or producer. Consumer choice is widely regarded as the major source of self-definition and identity rather than productive activity. Politicians vie with each other to fashion their appeal to 'citizen-consumers'. When and how did these profound changes occur? Which historical alternatives were pushed to the margins in the process? In what ways did the everyday consumer practices and forms of consumer organising adopted by both middle and working-class men and women shape the outcomes? This study of the making of consumer culture in Britain since 1800 explores these questions, introduces students to major debates and cuts a distinctive path through this vibrant field. It suggests that the consumer culture that emerged during this period was shaped as much by political relationships as it was by economic and social factors.

Download or read book Consumerism written by Steven Miles and published by SAGE. This book was released on 1998-08-31 with total page 196 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book provides an introduction to the historical and theoretical foundations of consumerism. It then moves on to examine the experience of consumption in the areas of space and place, technology, fashion, `popular' music and sport. Throughout, the author brings a critical perspective to bear upon the subject, thus providing a reliable and stimulating guide to a complex and many-sided field.

Download or read book Consumer Culture and the Making of Modern Jewish Identity written by Gideon Reuveni and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2017-08-07 with total page 281 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book investigates the intersection between consumption, identity and Jewish history in Europe.

Download or read book Land of Desire written by William R. Leach and published by Vintage. This book was released on 2011-06-15 with total page 561 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This monumental work of cultural history was nominated for a National Book Award. It chronicles America's transformation, beginning in 1880, into a nation of consumers, devoted to a cult of comfort, bodily well-being, and endless acquisition. 24 pages of photos.

Download or read book The Unmanageable Consumer written by Yiannis Gabriel and published by SAGE. This book was released on 2006-04-07 with total page 229 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: `This book was radically challenging when it was first published, and is only more so today as the concept of consumer collapses under the weight of its many meanings' - Madeleine Bunting, Columnist, The Guardian Western-style consumerism appears unstoppable. Yet it is has failed to deliver greater happiness and is now facing major environmental, population and political challenges. This book examines the key Western traditions of thinking about and being a consumer. Each chapter posits a consumer model with examples from the international community. Readers are invited to enter an exciting and radical analysis of contemporary consumerism which suggests that consumerism is fragile and consumers unpredictable. Updated with new material, this Second Edition looks at the impact of new technologies on consumerism and the consolidation of consumerism and 'consumer' language in spheres like education and health. The authors discuss the spread of consumerism to developing countries like India and the effect of demographic change and migration. The fallout from 9/11 and United States military hegemony is examined, as is the influence on consumerism of Islamic fundamentalism, the anti-globalization movement, environmental concerns and depleting natural resources. This book is of interest to advanced undergraduate, postgraduate and MBA students taking courses on behaviour, buyer behaviour, customer behaviour, consumers and society and retailing. Any one interested in better understanding consumerism will also find this book a fascinating read.

Download or read book The Sociology of Consumption written by Peter Corrigan and published by SAGE. This book was released on 1997-09-28 with total page 212 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This lucid introduction to the sociology of consumerism examines the relationship between production and consumption in late capitalist societies. The historical and theoretical discussion provides the student with the tools to examine key themes in the sociology of consumption. After a detailed historical overview of the advent of consumer society, Peter Corrigan examines theoretical accounts of consumption and consumer practice, including: Veblen and conspicuous consumption; Mary Douglas on the world of goods; Jean Baudrillard on the system of objects; and Pierre Bourdieu on cultural capital. This historical and theoretical discussion provides the student with the tools to examine key themes in the socio