This unit introduces students to key sociological, cultural and feminist interrogations of consumer society. It examines the emergence and development of consumer society in the context of 'reflexive modernity'. Students will be given the opportunity to critically engage with the operations and effects of consumerism in local and global contexts. By looking at trends like makeover culture, the 'lifestyle' industry and anti-consumption, the unit encourages students to analyse the macro and micro processes of consumerism that shape social life, identities and communities. Particular emphasis will be placed on the intersections of gender, race and class in the formation of the consumer... -- Course Website
Instructor: K Toffoletti
