Synopsis

These volumes comprise the most extensive guide to past and current research on the topic of consumption ever created. Ranging from the classic discussions of a century and more ago to the latest evidence for the diversity of consumption as it is actually practiced. This set is an essential foundation for one of the most rapidly growing areas of contemporary academic study. The volumes reflect a major transformation in consumption studies. Gone are the simple debates as to whether consumption is in general is a good or bad thing, and equally simple technical definitions. Instead this set demonstrate the maturity of its subject: a time when consumption is a foundation to most people's lives in most parts of the world. The contents are highly inter-disciplinary, with approaches ranging from anthropology to media studies, geography to business studies. Each discipline provides its own theories, perspectives and methodologies for studying this topic.

These volumes are also concerned to make use of the rapid increase in studies of actual consumption across the globe so that many of the examples come from areas such as China, Japan, India and South America and break free of what had previously been debates almost exclusively concerned with Europe and the United States.