Gifts and Commodities: Exchange and Western Capitalism Since 1700 (Material Cultures)

Three hundred years ago people made most of what they used, or got it in trade from their neighbors. Now, no one seems to make anything of their own, 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 in the United States. James G. Carrier investigates the ways that people think about and relate to objects in 20th century culture, how thoses relationships have developed, and the social meanings they have for relations with others. The book analyzes the distinctions between impersonal objects and personal possessions, and investigates the changes in common forms of production and consumption in Britain and the U.S. since the 18th century. Carrier argues that because of these changes in the common experience of objects, people have come to see objects as more impersonal so that to use objects as a means of strengthening social ties, they must be invested with social meaning and personal identity. Drawing on anthropological and sociological perspectives to describe the importance of shopping and gift giving in our lives and in present-day Western economies, Gifts and Commodities traces the development of shopping and retailing practices, and the emergence of modern notions of objects and the self. Carrier brings together a wealth of information on the history of production and of retail trade, creating a fully interdisciplinary study of the links we forge between ourselves, our social groups and the commodities we buy and give. BOOK COVER......Page 1 HALF-TITLE......Page 2 TITLE......Page 4 COPYRIGHT......Page 5 CONTENTS......Page 6 PREFACE......Page 7 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS......Page 14 INTRODUCTION......Page 16 OBJECTS AND STATUS......Page 17 OBJECTS AS SIGNS......Page 19 OBJECTS IN PRIVATE STRUCTURES......Page 23 ORGANIZATION OF THE BOOK......Page 25 1 GIFTS AND COMMODITIES, PEOPLE AND THINGS......Page 34 THE REALMS OF GIFTS AND COMMODITIES......Page 35 OBLIGATORY TRANSFER......Page 37 INALIENABLE OBJECTS......Page 40 RELATED AND MUTUALLY-OBLIGATED TRANSACTORS......Page 46 VARIATIONS IN ACTION AND MEANING......Page 51 2 CHANGING PRODUCTION RELATIONS......Page 54 COTTAGE INDUSTRY......Page 56 PUTTING OUT......Page 58 EARLY FACTORY PRODUCTION......Page 60 MODERN FACTORY PRODUCTION......Page 65 IMPERIUM......Page 70 CHANGING RELATIONS OF PRODUCTION......Page 72 3 CHANGING CIRCULATION RELATIONS......Page 76 CIRCULATION AND MORAL ECONOMY......Page 78 EARLY SHOP TRADE......Page 84 THE EMERGENCE OF IMPERSONAL TRADE......Page 89 CONCLUSION......Page 97 4 CHANGING CIRCULATION RELATIONS......Page 100 SCOPE OF STORES......Page 103 CHANGING CREDIT......Page 106 LABOR RELATIONS......Page 109 PASSIVE DISTRIBUTION......Page 113 MANUFACTURERS’ BRANDS AND ADVERTISING......Page 116 ALIENATION IN TRADE AND PRODUCTION......Page 119 5 THE WORK OF APPROPRIATION......Page 122 FORMS OF APPROPRIATION......Page 126 APPROPRIATION AND GENDER......Page 132 APPROPRIATION IN SHOPPING......Page 135 APPROACHES TO SHOPPING......Page 140 6 PRESENTING COMMODITIES IN CATALOGUES......Page 142 CATALOGUES......Page 144 RELIABLE—NEUTRAL PRESENTATION......Page 146 SMITH & HAWKEN—SYMBOLISM OF THE MAKER......Page 147 LANDS’ END—SYMBOLISM OF THE SELLER......Page 150 COMFORTABLY YOURS—SYMBOLISM OF THE USER......Page 154 INVOKING POSSESSION......Page 157 THE PERFECT PRESENT......Page 160 GIFT AND COMMODITY......Page 165 FREEDOM AND OBLIGATION......Page 171 CHRISTMAS GIVING......Page 182 CHRISTMAS GIFTS AND COMMODITIES......Page 187 CHRISTMAS SHOPPING AND CHRISTMAS GIVING......Page 189 THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS PAST......Page 194 THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS PRESENTS......Page 202 OPPOSITIONS......Page 204 OPPOSITIONS IN CONTEXT......Page 214 NOTES......Page 220 REFERENCES......Page 226 INDEX......Page 246 Three 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 in 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 at the social meanings they have for relations with others. The book analyses the distinctions between impersonal objects and personal possessions, and investigates the changes in common forms of production and consumption in Britain and the U.S. since 1700. James Carrier argues that because of these changes in the common experience of objects, people have come to see objects as more impersonal, so that to use objects as a means of strengthening social ties, they must be invested with social meaning and personal identity. Using aspects of anthropology and sociology to describe the importance of shopping and gift-giving in our lives and in present-day western economies, Gifts and Commodities traces the development of shopping and retailing practices, and the emergence of modern notions of objects and the self. Carrier brings together a wealth of information on the history of production and of retail trade, creating a fully interdisciplinary study of the links we forge between ourselves, our social groups and the commodities we buy and give. Three 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:
* traces the development of shopping and retailing practices, and the emergence of modern notions of objects and the self
* brings together a wealth of information on the history of the retail trade
* examines the reality of the distinctions we draw between the impersonal economic sphere and personal social sphere
* offers a fully interdisciplinary study of the links we forge between ourselves, our social groups and the commodities we buy and give. Carrier brings together a wealth of information on the history of the retail trade & the rise of consumer society in Britain & the US. Using both anthropology & sociology he looks into the ways we use and relate to objects in 20th century culture. Brings new perspectives to issues of class and the self in western cultureLooks at how and why people buy things - concentrates on social processes of shopping/consumerism and gift giving