Sociology of Consumption

This long course (1hr 20mins lecture, 1hr 20mins seminar and 1 office hour a week) focuses on theories of consumer culture. The aim is to situate and make sense of these theories as part of the broad development of social thought over the modern period (Slater,1997; Edwards 2000). The course will explore:

the rise of commercial society, the relation between needs and social structures, the relation between freedom of choice and the power of commercial systems, the nature of selves and identities in a post-traditional world, the reproduction of social order, prosperity and progress, the modern fate of individuals and of the intimate, private and everyday world;
key substantive themes in the sociology of consumption that include the shopping experience, advertising, food and drink, tourism and fashion and clothes (Corrigan, 1997);
the way an individual’s position in social groups structured by class, gender, ethnicity and age affects the nature of its participation in consumer culture (Lury, 1996).

Reading

* Don Slater, 1997, Consumer Culture and Modernity, Polity Press, Cambridge.

* Tim Edwards, 2000, Contradictions of Consumption, Open University Press, Buckingham.

+ Peter Corrigan, 1997, The Sociology of Consumption, Sage Publications, London.

+ Celia Lury, 1996, Consuming Cultures, Polity Press, Cambridge.

Various articles on consumer culture and consumption will be circulated throughout the course

* - essential reading

+ - supplementary reading

WEEK (1hr 20mins lecture and 1hr 20mins seminar)

Introduction: aims of the course, and preliminary examination of western patterns of consumption and theories of consumption (Slater Ch1; Lury Ch1; Edwards Chs1-2).

No Seminar

A history of the consumer culture and its relation to the modern period: the relationship between consumption, production and modernity (Slater Ch1; Edwards Ch5).

Seminar: Shops and the shopping experience (Corrigan Ch4).

Outlines of the consumer culture: modern features and processes that make the consumer culture distinctive and different from the pre-modern period (Slater Ch1; Edwards Chs3).

Seminar: Advertising (Corrigan Ch5).

The hero of the market: liberalism depicts the consumer as a hero, whose rationality, autonomy and freedom enable it to pursue its desires (Slater Ch2; Edwards Ch3).

Seminar: Home (Corrigan Ch7).

The fool of the market: the liberals’ consumer culture fails to acknowledge moral judgement, and the consumer can appear as an irrational fool (Slater Ch2; Edwards Ch4).

Seminar: Food and Drink (Corrigan Ch8).

Consumer culture – a contradiction? proponents of culture argue that the liberals’ consumerism produces social disorder and depthless individuals (Slater Ch3; Edwards Ch4).

Seminar: Tourism (Corrigan Ch9).

The self in the consumer culture: how does modernity weaken, disorientate and slave the self, and how does the consumer culture fail to rescue the individual (Slater Ch3; Edwards Ch7).

Seminar: Clothing and Fashion (Corrigan Ch11)

Test
Spring Break: No lecture and seminar.
Marx and the commodity culture: Marx’s critical perspective on the bourgeoisie culture focusing on the alienation of labour and needs, and commodity fetishism (Slater Ch4; Edwards Ch5).

Seminar: Class and consumption (Lury Ch4).

Development of Western Marxism: rather than liberating individuals, the objective consumer culture regulates human life as an all-encompassing power (Slater Ch4; Edwards Ch6).

Seminar: Gender and consumption (Lury Ch5).

Meanings and Signs: the meaningful nature of consumption (things, needs and uses are not natural but culturally defined) and its relation to the sign system (Slater Ch5; Edwards Ch6).

Seminar: Ethnicity and consumption (Lury Ch6).

Social Practices: meanings of things relate to the making of social relations and social order, producing social divisions (differences and class distinctions) (Slater Ch6; Edwards Ch4).

Seminar: Youth Culture (Lury Ch7).

Fordism, Post-Fordism and Postmodernism: the consumer culture interlinks with the themes of post-Fordism, postmodernism and post-structuralism (Slater Ch7; Edwards Ch8).

Seminar: Revision, essays and examination

To be announced – lecture by a co-lecturer

Seminar: to be announced

To be announced – lecture by a co-lecturer

Seminar: to be announced

Examination

Assignments

An essay (3,500-5000 words) – due in Week 17

Mid-semester written test

End of semester written examination

Grading Structure

40% Research project

40% End of semester examination

10% Mid-semester test

10% Seminar and lecture participation

All assignments must be competed to pass the course. Students who do not complete the assignments on time will have their grades down-graded, or will be dropped from the course. Students are expected to attend all lectures and seminars, to be well prepared, and to have read their readings.

Grading Guidelines for Assignments

‘A’ – Assignments of exceptional quality, and are comprehensive and original in their insights, and written with some sense of style.

‘A-‘ – Assignments of comprehensive and original quality, with an insightful treatment of the subject matter. They indicate a high degree of intellectual, conceptual and analytical sophistication. Assignments are also well-structured, with clear, creative themes, which are supported by clear evidence, and they astutely evaluate counter-arguments.

‘B+’ – Assignments are extremely thorough and thoughtful, though they lack originality, comprehensiveness or insight. Assignments are logical and clear, and have well-reasoned objectives and written structure.

‘B’ – Assignments are well-reasoned and well-organised, and the ideas are developed, but with little originality. They also indicate exceptional insights, but are inadequately developed.

‘C+’ – Assignments show competency of the subject matter, with an adequate written structure. They contain some ideas, which demonstrate analytical skills, though overall they are not well developed.

‘C’ – Assignments regurgitates readings and lecture ideas and materials.

‘D+’ – Assignments have evidence of some thought, though they lack analytical structure.

‘F’ – Assignments where none of the above apply, or are plagiarised from other sources.

Grading Guidelines for Seminar and Lecture Participation

Active participation means that students are ready to articulate and explain their ideas, and listen and respond to others’ ideas.

‘A’ – Students attend each lecture and seminar with questions about the lectures and readings. In engaged dialogues, they raise these questions for other students to discuss, and listen to contrary opinions. They initiate and develop critical issues concerning the seminar activities. They are well-structured and well-organised for the completion of their research projects.

‘B’ – Students complete their readings, but do not always reflect on the questions and issues raised during the lectures and seminars. Though they articulate their own views, they passively wait for others to initiate interesting issues. They are reasonably well organised for their own projects.

‘C’ – Students attend, prepare and listen attentively, but rarely enter into discussions. They are adequately prepared for their own projects.

‘D’ – Students are inconsistent in their attendance and preparations. They do not respect others’ contributions. They are also poorly prepared for their own projects.

‘F’ – Students are consistently ill-prepared and have poor attendance. They are rude and disruptive. They also fail to show any signs of organising their own projects.

Please note that I reserve the right to change the schedule of the meetings and topics as and when necessary.

Please look at my web site for additional information and notes about the course. Additional course information will be given during the semester.