Consumption and Consumer Society: The Craft Consumer and Other Essays

Acknowledgements
Contents
1 Introduction
2 The Desire for the New: Its Nature and Social Location as Presented in Theories of Fashion and Modern Consumerism
	Introduction1
	The Veblen-Simmel Model
	The New, the Innovative and the Novel
	Origins of the Novel
	Conclusion
	References
3 Consuming Goods and the Good of Consuming
	Modern Consumption
	The Problem of Consumerism
	A Hedonistic Approach
	Modern Hedonism
	Daydreaming
	The Spirit of Modern Consumerism
	Consumerism and the Counterculture
	The Goods of Consumerism
	Is Consumption Good for Us?
4 Conspicuous Confusion? A Critique of Veblen’s Theory of Conspicuous Consumption
	Conspicuous Consumption as Distinguished by an Intention, Motive or Instinct
	Conspicuous Consumption as Distinguished by a Consequence, Outcome or Function
	Conclusion
	References
5 The Meaning of Objects and the Meaning of Actions: A Critical Note on the Sociology of Consumption and Theories of Clothing
	Introduction
	The Meaning of Objects vs the Meaning of Actions
	A Matter of Choice
	Conclusion
	References
6 Shopping, Pleasure and the Sex War
	The Results
	Interpretation
		Consumption as a ‘Feminine’ Activity?
		lmplications
		Male and Female Ideologies of Shopping
		Conclusion
		Equal but Different?
		The Future Is Female?
	References
7 Consumption and the Rhetorics of Need and Want
	Introduction: The Need and Want Rhetorics
	Origin and Location of the Two Rhetorics
	Need and Want Discourses in Theories of Consumption and Society
	The Need-Want Rhetorics in Academic Discussion
	The Rhetorics of Need and Want in Consumption
	The Situated Rhetorics of Consumption: The Case of Gender
	Food Versus Non-food Shopping
	Conclusion
8 I Shop Therefore I Know That I Am: The Metaphysical Basis of Modern Consumerism
	Introduction
	The Nature of Modern Consumerism
	Ontology and the Search for Meaning: Identity as Defined by Desire
	‘I Shop Therefore I Am’
	A Consumerist Epistemology
	The Search for Ontological Security
	A Consumerist Ontology
	The New Age World View and a Consumerist Metaphysic
	Conclusion
	References
9 The Craft Consumer: Culture, Craft and Consumption in a Postmodern Society
	Introduction
	Social Thought and the Concept of Craft
	The Rejection of the Consumer as Dupe
	What Is Craft Consumption?
	Appropriating, Personalizing, and Customizing
	Personalization
	Customization
	Subversive Customization
	Craft Consumption as Ensemble-Activity
	Collecting as Craft Consumption
	From Customizing to Craft Consumption
	Craft Consumption and the Larger Culture
	Why Does There Appear to be a Growth in Craft Consumption?
	Conclusion
	References
10 The Curse of the New: How the Accelerating Pursuit of the New Is Driving Hyper-Consumption
	Introduction
	Three Forms of Consuming the New
		Replacement-Driven Consumption of the New
	Disposable Replacement Consumption
	Out-of-Use Replacement Consumption
		Innovation-Driven Consumption of the New
		Fashion-Driven Consumption of the New
	Summary
	The Causes of Hyper-Consumption
	Can Turning to Embrace the Old Slow the Advance of the New?
	How Valuing the New Is Central to Western Civilization
	What Can Be Done About This Accelerated Consumption of the New?
	References
11 A Matter of Necessity: Reflections on Need and Want in a Time of Lockdown
	Introduction
	Consumption and the Need/Want Dichotomy
	False Needs
	Do People Know What They Need?
	Absolute Poverty and Basic Needs
	Needs and Relative Poverty
	Norm Versus Expert Definition of Need
	Need but Not Want
	Turning Wants into Needs
	Turning What Is Needed into What Is Wanted
	What Life Under Lockdown Has Taught Us About Need
	The Need for Clean Air
	The Need for Contact with Nature
		The Need for Community
	The Need for Internet Access
	Conclusion
	References
Index