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Work, Consumption and Culture
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Work, Consumption and Culture
Affluence and Social Change in the Twenty-first Century


Other Titles in:
Sociology of Work

January 2005 | 224 pages | SAGE Publications Ltd
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

 
Introduction
The Affluence Hypothesis

 
 
Work-Based Society
 
Affluence
 
Consumption-Based Society
 
Acts of Consumption
 
Work, Consumption and Social Identity
 
Identity Crisis
Workers versus Consumers

 
 
The Cultures of Work and Consumption
 
Concluding Comments
The Affluence Hypothesis Revisited

 

Sample Materials & Chapters

Pdf file of chapter 2

Pdf file of chapter 1


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ISBN: 9780761959854
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