Consumerism in Twentieth-Century Britain: The Search for a Historical Movement

Cover......Page 1
Half-title......Page 3
Title......Page 5
Copyright......Page 6
Dedication......Page 7
Contents......Page 9
Illustrations......Page 11
Acknowledgements......Page 12
Abbreviations......Page 14
Introduction: luxury’s shadow......Page 17
Consumerism: cultural or political phenomenon?......Page 20
Luxury’s shadow......Page 30
Part I Necessity......Page 41
1 Socialism, co-operation, Free Trade and fair trade: the politics of consumption in the nineteenth century......Page 43
Fair trade and Free Trade......Page 46
The Co-operative movement......Page 51
The female consumer......Page 57
The wider politics of consumption......Page 63
2 Revolutionary shoppers: the Consumers’ Council and scarcity in World War One......Page 69
Prices and the fear of industrial unrest......Page 71
Food control......Page 77
The Consumers’ Council......Page 82
Profiteering, socialism and co-operation......Page 90
3 The right to live: consumer ‘ideology’ in inter-war Britain......Page 95
The Co-operative movement......Page 96
The Independent Labour Party and the ‘living wage’......Page 104
Guild socialism and social credit......Page 110
Political and Economic Planning......Page 115
4 The price of depression: consumer politics in inter-war Britain......Page 124
The cost of living......Page 126
The Royal Commission on Food Prices and the Food Council......Page 133
The Consumers’ Council Bills......Page 140
Agricultural Marketing Acts and Boards......Page 145
5 Austerity to affluence: the twilight of the politics of necessity......Page 153
Rationing and the Second World War......Page 155
Consumer representation and the nationalised industries......Page 161
The Consumer Advice Centre......Page 166
Part II Affluence......Page 181
6 The new consumer: good housewives and enlightened businessmen......Page 183
Comparative testing before the Consumers’ Association......Page 187
The consumer as middle-class housewife......Page 194
Business as the champions of the consumer......Page 199
7 The professionals: the origins of the organised consumer movement......Page 210
Motives......Page 213
The ethic of consumerism: a movement without an ideology?......Page 221
The appeal......Page 226
8 Individualism enshrined: the state and the consumer in the 1960s......Page 235
The Molony Committee on Consumer Protection......Page 237
The Consumer Council, 1963–70......Page 244
9 The right to shop: consumerism and the economy......Page 258
Citizens or shoppers: the Consumers’ Association......Page 260
The Office of Fair Trading......Page 273
10 The duty of citizens: consumerism and society......Page 284
Consumerism, the CA and social democracy......Page 286
The National Consumer Council (NCC)......Page 295
11 Affluence or effluence: globalisation and ethical consumerism......Page 314
The global consumer movement......Page 317
Ethical consumerism......Page 330
Conclusion: the quantity or the quality of choice......Page 345
1. ARCHIVAL AND UNPUBLISHED SOURCES......Page 360
2. PRIMARY BOOKS AND ARTICLES......Page 363
3. SECONDARY BOOKS AND ARTICLES......Page 373
Index......Page 387