ABSTRACT

Consumption has become one of the leading topics across the social sciences and vocational disciplines such as marketing and business studies. In this comprehensively updated and revised new edition, traditional approaches as well as the most recent literature are fully addressed and incorporated, with wide reference to theoretical and empirical work. Fine's refreshing and authoritative text includes a critical examination of such themes as:

* economics imperialism and globalization
* the world of commodities
* systems of provision and culture
* the consumer society
* public consumption.

This book presents an updated analysis of the cluttered landscape of studies of consumption that will make it required reading for students from a wide range of backgrounds including political economy, history and social science courses generally.

chapter 1|8 pages

Introduction and overview

chapter 3|31 pages

The world of commodities

chapter 4|22 pages

Use value and consumption

chapter 5|22 pages

Consumption through systems of provision

chapter 6|24 pages

Systems of provision and cultural systems

chapter 7|30 pages

Economics and consumption

chapter 8|21 pages

What is consumer society?

chapter 9|11 pages

Whatever happened to public consumption?

chapter 10|24 pages

Welfarism in light of globalisation

chapter 11|18 pages

Whither consumption studies?