MA Gender, Sexuality and Culture / Course details

Students will survey the emergence and development of a new sub-discipline within sociology, the sociology of consumption. The course will involve examining key theoretical texts and recent research in the field.

The course will cover the following topics:
* A definition and mapping of the field of consumption studies
* themes in the sociology of consumption
* The Frankfurt School and the culture industries
* Pierre Bourdieu's analysis of distinction
* consumption, welfare and well-being
*cultural studies and the meaning of signs
* material culture and the meaning of goods
* an interim review of the field
*revival of political economy of consumption
*recent developments in the cultural sociology of consumption

To provide a module of study which furthers to the aims of the MA programme.
To cultivate a capacity for critical thinking at an advanced level.
To introduce students to a rapidly developing field of study which has relevance to contemporary social and economic life.
To offer a thorough overview of developments in the sociology of consumption and encourage a critical attitude towards theoretical and empirical work in the field.

* to impart an understanding of the development of the sub-discipline.
* to foster a capacity for critical evaluation of key theoretical texts and recent empirical research.
* to identify the strengths and weaknesses of current work in the field.
* to encourage a capacity to write analytically about topics in the field.

weekly lecture

Students are required to write a 3,000 word assessed essay related to one of the module topics

Aldridge A (2004) Consumption, Polity
Lury, C (1996) Consumer Culture, Polity
Gabriel Y & Lang T (1995) The Unmanageable Consumer, Sage
Slater, D (1997) Consumer Culture and Modernity, Polity
Miller, D. ed (1995) Acknowledging Consumption: a review of new studies, Routledge