Description
Book SynopsisIn his interdisciplinary review of material culture, Ian Woodward goes beyond synthesis to offer a theoretically innovative reconstruction of the field. It is filled with gems of conceptual insight and empirical discovery. A wonderful book.
-
Jeffrey C. Alexander, Yale University
A well-grounded and accessible survey of the burgeoning field of material culture studies for students in sociology and consumption studies. While situating the field within the history of intellectual thought in the broader social sciences, it offers detailed and accessible case studies. These are supplemented by very useful directions for further in-depth reading, making it an excellent undergraduate course companion.
- Victor Buchli, University College London
Why are i-pods and
Trade Review
This book deserves its niche, both as a textbook covering long standing debates and discussions, but also as an entry point to a particular perspective. It comes about as close as anything I have seen to a genuine standard textbook that tries to transcend particular disciplines. -- Material World
Table of Contents
PART ONE: LOCATING MATERIAL CULTURE The Material as Culture. Definitions, Perspectives, Approaches Studying Material Culture. Origins and Premises PART TWO: THEORETICAL APPROACHES TO STUDYING MATERIAL CULTURE The Deceptive, Suspicious Object. Marxist and Critical Approaches The Object as Symbolic Code. Structural and Semiotic Approaches The Material Representing the Cultural Universe. Objects, Symbols and Cultural Categories PART THREE: OBJECTS IN ACTION Objects and Distinction. The Aesthetic Field and Expressive Materiality Material Culture and Identity. Objects and the Self Material Culture, Narratives, and Social Performance. Objects in Contexts PART FOUR: CONCLUSION Conclusion: Objects and Meaning in Consumer Culture
