ABSTRACT
Canonical Authors in Consumption Theory is the first work to compile the contributions of the greatest social thinkers in the global conversation about consumption and consumer culture. A prestigious reference work, it offers original chapters by the world's most prominent thought leaders and surveys how the work of historical theorists has influenced and shaped consumption theory, both through history and at the cutting edge of research.
Consumption is at the core of contemporary lifestyles, of political successes and failures and of discussions around sustainability and environmental change. Contemporary consumer culture shapes modern identities, and is the engine of the globalizing capitalist economy. Still, most social theorizations over the last century and a half have addressed production processes rather than consumption processes. This is about to change. Studies of consumption play an increasing role as a topic and a domain of study in marketing, anthropology, sociology and cultural studies.
Currently, there is no single compilation that systematically links scholarly work published by the greatest social thinkers of the last 150 years to the understanding of contemporary consumer society. This book provides a solid framework for understanding the relevance of these canonical authors in social theory to facilitate analysis of consumer culture, and to act as a comprehensive reference point for consumer researchers, doctoral students and practitioners.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
part I|11 pages
Introduction
part II|27 pages
Political economy and the quest for value
part III|36 pages
Anthropology and consumption
part IV|34 pages
System and structuration
part V|31 pages
Identity trajectories
part VI|21 pages
Civilization and history
part VII|32 pages
The language of commodities
part VIII|37 pages
Power games
part IX|37 pages
The imaginary and humanity
part X|9 pages
Postscript