ANTH 513 - Consumption,Culture& Modernity

Credits: Variable

Examines how and why consumption has become a central concern in social theory. Why have we shifted our focus from production to consumption? What is the relationship between the cultural turn and the interest in consumption? How is consumption related to current concerns with the individual, self and identity? How is the analysis of consumption linked to debates on modernity and post-modernity? Looks at the contributions from political, economic and cultural approaches to the examination of consumption. Discusses current debates on the meanings of the market, commodities, things and gifts. Occasional.