Summary
Contents
Subject index
The central question in Work, Consumption and Culture is whether consumption has now displaced production as the defining factor in the lives of those in the industrialized West. This book offers a comprehensive review of the key issues in the production/consumption debate, and where it might lead in the future. Key to Paul Ransome’s argument is the hypothesis that affluence is the crucial factor in the shift away from work and towards consumption. Uniquely emphasizing the links between work, consumption and culture, rather than keeping each element separate, the author looks at:- the changing significance of work in society - the meaning, growth and significance of affluence - the growing importance of consumption as a source of identity and its implications the impact of the shift to consumption on work/life balance Work, Consumption and Culture engages the reader with its lively debating style. It is an essential introduction for sociology and cultural studies students on courses relating to consumption and the role of work in contemporary society.`This book offers a balanced account of the changing importance of work and consumption in contemporary industrial society. Clearly written, the author identifies the central role that affluence plays in the relationship between work and consumption, and in the development of social life and individual identity' - Professor Paul Blyton, Cardiff Business School
Work, Consumption and Social Identity
Work, Consumption and Social Identity
As we noted in our opening chapter, our general aim in this book is to understand if and in what ways some transition from a work-based to a consumption-based social type might result in, or be associated with, changes in the meanings and purposes of people's social action. So far we have established reasonably strong grounds for suggesting that although work remains important, the realm of consumption has assumed a more dominant role in people's lives. We now need to consider in more detail what impact this development is having on the way people act in society. What does it mean to say that action is increasingly oriented towards consumption rather than towards production? Clearly there ...
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