Changing Consumer Markets and Meanings

It appears that everything we do, see, hear and even feel is connected at some level to our experience as consumers. The increasingly high profile of debates on consumption, consumer culture, behaviour and rights reflects a world undergoing rapid change. Charting the nature of that change, this revealing book discusses why consumption has become so important, and what role, if any, it plays in underpinning social, economic and political transformation. Combining a helpful survey of contemporary approaches to consumption with papers on key aspects of practice, this multi-disciplinary collection includes contributions from sociology, anthropology, media studies and business studies as well as from major figures in consumption studies such as Warde, du Gay and Belk. It includes chapters on: * men's consumption and men's magazines * the changing profile of women as consumers * the representation of consumption on popular TV shows * consuming retro chic * the symbolic and emotional role of alcohol consumption. Drawing on fascinating case-studies throughout, this book will be essential reading for students and academics interested in the study of consumption.Miles, R. Steven is the author of 'Changing Consumer Markets and Meanings', published 2002 under ISBN 9780415270434 and ISBN 041527043X.