The Oxford Handbook of the History of Consumption

The study of the desire, acquisition, use, and disposal of goods and services, consumption, has grown enormously in recent years, and has been the subject of major historiographical debates: did the eighteenth century bring a consumer revolution? Was there a great divergence between East and West? Did the twentieth century see the triumph of global consumerism? Questions of consumption have become defining topics in all branches of history, from gender and labour history to political history and cultural studies. The Oxford Handbook of the History of Consumption offers a timely overview of how our understanding of consumption in history has changed in the last generation, taking the reader from the ancient period to the twenty-first century. It includes chapters on Asia, Europe, Africa, and North America, brings together new perspectives, highlights cutting-edge areas of research, and offers a guide through the main historiographical developments. Contributions from leading historians examine the spaces of consumption, consumer politics, luxury and waste, nationalism and empire, the body, well-being, youth cultures and fashion. The Handbook also showcases the different ways in which recent historians have approached the subject, from cultural and economic history, to political history and technology studies, including areas where multidisciplinary approaches have been especially fruitful. Contributors to this volume - Enrica Asquer, the University of Sassari, Italy Maxine Berg, Professor of History, University of Warwick Christopher Breward, Head of Research at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London Timothy Burke, Professor of History, Swarthmore College Lendol Calder, Professor of American History, Augustana College, Illinois Paolo Capuzzo, Professor of Contemporary History, University of Bologna Craig Clunas, Professor of the History of Art, the University of Oxford Daniel Thomas Cook, Associate Professor of Childhood Studies and Sociology, Rutgers University, Camden, New Jersey Brian Cowan, Canada Research Chair in Early Modern British History, McGill University, Montreal James Davidson, Professor of Ancient History, University of Warwick. Felipe Fernandez-Armesto, William P. Reynolds Professor of Arts and Letters, Notre Dame Sheila Fitzpatrick, Bernadotte E. Schmitt Distinguished Service Professor in Modern Russian History, University of Chicago Dr Karl Gerth, Oxford University Lawrence B. Glickman, Carolina Trustee Professor of History, University of South Carolina Joshua Goldstein, Associate Professor of Modern Chinese History, University of Southern California Andrew Gordon, Lee and Juliet Folger Fund Professor of History, Harvard University Heinz-Gerhard Haupt, Professor of European History, the University of Bielefeld and the European University Institute, Florence Matthew Hilton, Professor of Social History, University of Birmingham Dominique Jeanne Margairaz, Professor of Modern History, Universite Paris 1-Pantheon Sorbonnedepuis Michelle Craig McDonald, associate professor of Early American and Atlantic history, Richard Stockton College David E. Nye, Professor of American Studies, University of Southern Denmark Avner Offer, Chichele Professor of Economic History, University of Oxford Prasannan Parthasarathi, Boston College Sara Pennell, senior lecturer in history, Roehampton University, London Jeremy Prestholdt, Associate Professor of African History, University of California, San Diego Giorgio Riello, Associate Professor in Global History and Culture, University of Warwick Roberta Sassatelli, Professor of Cultural Sociology, University of Milan Mike Savage, Professor of Sociology, University of York Elizabeth Shove, Professor of Sociology, Lancaster University Carole Shammas holds the John R. Hubbard Chair in History, University of Southern California Frank Trentmann, Professor of History at Birkbeck College, University of London Alan Warde, Professor of Sociology, University of Manchester, and Jane and Aatos Erkko Visiting Professor, Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies Evelyn Welch, Professor of Renaissance Studies, Queen Mary University of London S. Jonathan Wiesen, Associate Professor of History, Southern Illinois University Carbondale