Consumer Culture

By Celia Lury

The second edition of Consumer Culture brings this successful introductory textbook right up-to-date for students who are interested in the nature and role of consumption in modern societies. It introduces the importance of new object-based studies for consumer culture, as well as adding new chapters on branding and the rise of ethical consumption.

Drawing on a wide range of studies, and using contemporary illustrations from the media and popular culture, the author examines the rise of consumer culture and the changing relations between the production and consumption of cultural goods. She argues that consumer culture has become increasingly stylized and now provides an important context for everyday creativity.

The author explores the way an individual's position in social groups structured by class, gender and race affects the nature of his or her participation in consumer culture. She also argues that this has contributed to changes in the way individuals belong to these social groups. The powerful role consumption plays in our lives is thus revealed, showing how consumer culture provides new ways of creating social and political identities.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0745643302
• ISBN13: 9780745643304
• Release Date: April 2011
• Publisher: Polity Press
• Length: 284 Pages
• Weight: 0.77 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.0" x 9.0"