Description
Community and social class appear to be in irreversible decline. Job insecurity has grown, and fewer people see work as giving meaning to their lives. Instead they turn to consumption for social standing, a sense of identity, and personal fulfilment. We appear to be living through a profound transition from a society based on production to a new social order, the consumer society, from which there is little chance of escape.
The book analyses the relationship between the rise of consumerism and the transformation of the world of work, including the new demands for 'emotional labour'. It concludes by examining the limitations of consumer organizations and consumer protection in a promotional culture dominated by global brands and saturated with advertising, corporate sponsorship and product placement.
This lively book will be essential reading for students and researchers in sociology and cultural studies.
About the Author
Alan Aldridge is Reader in the Sociology of Culture at the University of Nottingham.
Reviews
"Written with unusual clarity and confidence, this small book packs a big intellectual punch. No one interested in new work in the sociology of consumption should be without it." Charles Lemert, Wesleyan University
Book Information
ISBN 9780745625294
Author Alan Aldridge
Format Hardback
Page Count 176
Imprint Polity Press
Publisher John Wiley and Sons Ltd
Weight(grams) 327g
Dimensions(mm) 224mm * 144mm * 18mm
