This article argues that the luxury debates of the 18th century left a legacy for discussions of
consumption up to the present day. First, the vices and virtues of moral discourse became …

Luxury. The word alone conjures up visions of attractive, desirable lifestyle choices, yet
luxury also faces criticism as a moral vice harmful to both the self and society. Engaging …

A not-so-quiet revolution seems to be occurring in wealthy capitalist societies-supermarkets
selling 'guilt free'Fairtrade products; lifestyle TV gurus exhorting us to eat less, buy local and …

This article contends that the study of consumption is often subsumed within an ideological
concern to castigate society for its materialism at the expense of an alternative morality that …

The 'shopocalypse', known to most as the global financial crisis, seemed to strike, like all
world-shattering events, without warning. In fact, the warnings were many; offered up both by …

A little over a century ago, Thorstein Veblen introduced us to the now commonplace term"
conspicuous consumption": the idea that we consume, at least in part, in order to display to …

Diamond-encrusted, alligator-skin handbags. Eighteen-course feasts. Yachts the length of
city blocks. In the twenty-first century, many point to such conspicuous consumption as …

Being a consumer is now integral to the human experience, something none of us can
avoid. At the same time, many of the products that we buy come to us with histories steeped …

How much is acceptable to consume? What is appropriate to consume and which goods fall
into the disapproved category? Answers to these questions vary widely across time and …

Front Cover During the past fifteen years we have seen an exponentially grown interest in
consumption and consumerism not only in social sciences, but also in arts and humanities …