Consuming Race

From the rise of Nordic noir to a taste for street food, from practices of natural gardening to the aesthetics of children's TV, contemporary culture is saturated with racial meanings. By consuming race we make sense of other groups and cultures, communicate our own identities, express our needs and desires, and discover new ways of thinking and being. This book explores how the meanings of race are made and remade in acts of creative consumption. Ranging across the terrain of popular culture, and finding race in some unusual and unexpected places, it offers fresh and innovative ways of thinking about the centrality of race to our lives. Consuming Race provides an accessible and highly readable overview of the latest research and a detailed reading of a diverse range of objects, sites and practices. It gives students of sociology, media and cultural studies the opportunity to make connections between academic debates and their own everyday practices of consumption. This Book Explores How The Ideas We Have About Race Are Produced And Reproduced In Everyday Acts Of Consumption, And Gives Us A New Way Of Thinking About The Centrality Of Race To Our Lives. It Argues That Consumption Is Not A Superficial Leisure Activity, But Plays A Very Important Role In Shaping Our Beliefs About Others: It Is Through The Products We Buy, The Games We Play, The Tv We Watch, The Restaurants We Eat At, The Charities We Give To And The Holidays We Take That We Make Sense Of Other Groups And Cultures. It Is Also Through Acts Of Racial Consumption That We Communicate Our Own Identities, And Express Our Fears And Desires. Providing An Accessible And Highly Readable Overview Of The Latest Research, An Introduction To Critical Methodologies, And A Detailed Reading Of A Range Of Images, Texts, Products, Sites And Artifacts, Consuming Race Gives Students Of Sociology, Media And Cultural Studies The Opportunity To Make Connections Between Academic Debates And Their Own Everyday Practices Of Consumption-- From The Products We Buy To The Television We Watch, New Media, Books, Food, Design, Toys And Games, Plants, Animals And Landscapes Are All Saturated With Racial Meanings. By Consuming Race In These Various Forms, We Make Sense Of Other Groups And Cultures, Communicate Our Own Identities, Express Our Needs And Desires, And Discover New Ways Of Thinking And Being. This Book Explores How The Meanings Of Race Are Made And Remade In Acts Of Creative Consumption. Ranging Across The Terrain Of Popular Culture, And Finding Race In Some Unusual And Unexpected Places, It Offers Fresh And Innovative Ways Of Thinking About The Centrality Of Race To Our Lives. Consuming Race Provides An Accessible And Highly Readable Overview Of The Latest Research And A Detailed Reading Of A Diverse Range Of Objects, Sites And Practices. It Gives Students Of Sociology, Media And Cultural Studies The Opportunity To Make Connections Between Academic Debates And Their Own Everyday Practices Of Consumption-- Theorizing Racial Consumption -- Ethnic Appropriateness: White Nostalgia And Nordic Noir -- Engaging Whiteness : Black Nerds -- The Taste Of Race : Authenticity And Food Cultures -- Race And Children : From Anthropomorphism To Zoomorphism -- Animals And Plants : Natural Gardening And Non-native Species -- Stories About Race : Knowledge And Form. Ben Pitcher. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. "From the products we buy to the television we watch, new media, books, food, design, toys and games, plants, animals and landscapes are all saturated with racial meanings. By consuming race in these various forms, we make sense of other groups and cultures, communicate our own identities, express our needs and desires, and discover new ways of thinking and being. This book explores how the meanings of race are made and remade in acts of creative consumption. Ranging across the terrain of popular culture, and finding race in some unusual and unexpected places, it offers fresh and innovative ways of thinking about the centrality of race to our lives. Consuming Race provides an accessible and highly readable overview of the latest research and a detailed reading of a diverse range of objects, sites and practices. It gives students of sociology, media and cultural studies the opportunity to make connections between academic debates and their own everyday practices of consumption"-- Provided by publisher Cover 1 Half Title 2 Title Page 4 Copyright Page 5 Table of Contents 6 Preface 8 Acknowledgements 10 1 Introduction 14 2 Theorizing racial consumption 40 3 Ethnic appropriateness: white nostalgia and Nordic noir 67 4 Engaging whiteness: black nerds 86 5 The taste of race: authenticity and food cultures 98 6 Race and children: from anthropomorphism to zoomorphism 111 7 Animals and plants: natural gardening and non-native species 127 8 Stories about race: knowledge and form 142 9 Conclusion 157 Notes 160 Bibliography 166 Index 182