ABSTRACT
The year 1980 has been chosen as the start date for our final era because about this time three major political, economic, and technological trends came into force that would have great bearing upon American consumption in the following decades. First, the election of Ronald Reagan as President in November 1980 marked the ascendancy of neoliberal or "free market" thinking and policy in American life. Second, with the economic reforms championed by Deng Xiaoping, the People's Republic of China began to open itself to outside ideas and investment and within three decades had become the workshop for the world of consumer goods. This chapter presents an overview of a few economic, political, and social contexts of consumption. The threads of meaning will then reveal how firearms, automobiles, and other goods have become embroiled in the nation's increased political polarization. The chapter addresses the thread of men and masculinity, and explores gendered divisions in the consumption of technology and social media.
