EBOOK 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 topolitical        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 examinethe 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.