The mystical character of commodities: the consumer society in eighteenth century England

Wilson, R. (2008) The mystical character of commodities: the consumer society in eighteenth century England. Post-Medieval Archaeology, 42 (1). pp. 144-156. ISSN 0079-4236

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Abstract

This article argues for an alternative response to the 'consumer society' hypothesis for eighteenth-century England, which is seen to focus on large-scale development and obscure the relations between people and objects. Returning to Marx's theories regarding 'consumer fetishism' and utilising Bruno Latour's work on hybrids and the human and the non-human, the manner in which people used objects and objects used people is considered. Utilizing the courtesy books and 'it-narratives' of the eighteenth century and the later works of Jane Austen, it is argued that goods should not be seen only as commodities.

Publication Type: Articles
Subjects: C Auxiliary Sciences of History > CC Archaeology
D History General and Old World > DA Great Britain
G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GN Anthropology
J Political Science > JC Political theory
P Language and Literature > PN Literature (General) > PN0441 Literary history
Divisions: Academic Areas > Institute of Arts and Humanities > History
Related URLs:
Depositing User: Ross Wilson
Date Deposited: 29 Jul 2014 14:03
Last Modified: 27 Feb 2018 11:05
URI: https://eprints.chi.ac.uk/id/eprint/1242

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