The Making of the Consumer: Knowledge, Power and Identity in the Modern World (Cultures of Consumption)

Ranging from the United States to contemporary Papua New Guinea, and from the European Union to China, this book discusses the evolution of the consumer in economics, law, and anthropology; the political contestation of water and tea, as well as shopping in modern Europe, and the current refashioning of consumer identities in East Germany, in multinational stores in China, and in public debates about the effect of consumerism on childhood and citizenship in Europe and North America. Bringing together international experts from history, law, economics, anthropology, and media studies, this book offers a historically informed perspective on the rise of the consumer to its current prominence.