Gifts and Commodities: Exchange and Western Capitalism Since 1700Three hundred years ago people made most of what they used, or got it in trade from their neighbours. Now, no one seems to make anything, and we buy what we need from shops. Gifts and Commodities describes the cultural and historical process of these changes and looks at the rise of consumer society in Britain and the United States. It investigates the ways that people think about and relate to objects in twentieth-century culture, at how those relationships have developed, and the social meanings they have for relations with others. Using aspects of anthropology and sociology to describe the importance of shopping and gift-giving in our lives and in western economies, Gifts and Commodities: |
Other editions - View all
Gifts and Commodities: Exchange and Western Capitalism Since 1700 James G. Carrier Limited preview - 2005 |
Gifts and Commodities: Exchange and Western Capitalism Since 1700 James G. Carrier No preview available - 1995 |