The Wiley Blackwell Encyclopedia of Consumption and Consumer Studies

The Wiley Blackwell Encyclopedia of Consumption and Consumer Studies provides definitive coverage of a field that has grown dramatically in scope and popularity around the world over the past two decades. With more than 200 A Z entries varying in length from 500 to 5,000 words, it contains clear and concise definitions and explanations of key concepts, persons, and approaches. Each entry has a list of suggested readings and comprehensive cross–references. The Encyclopedia also includes a lexicon by category, a timeline, and an introduction by the editors.

The Encyclopedia strives to bring together the latest research and theories in the field, with an emphasis on expanding the coverage outside of the West. The entries are written by a group of expert international contributors across a range of disciplines, from sociology, cultural studies, and advertising, to anthropology, business, and consumer behavior. The content is available on an online platform with interactive cross–referencing links and powerful searching and browsing capabilities within the work and across Wiley s comprehensive online reference collection, or as a single volume in print. Assembling the latest research and information in consumer studies in one clear, concise, and accessible resource, this is an invaluable reference for scholars, researchers, and students at all levels.

Editors vii

Contributors ix

Lexicon xvii

Timeline xxiii

Introduction xxvii

Acknowledgments xxix

Consumption and Consumer Studies A Z 1

Index

Daniel Thomas Cook is Professor of Childhood Studies at Rutgers University Camden, USA. He has published widely on consumer culture, childhood, and their intersections in culture and history. He is author of The Commodification of Childhood: The Children′s Clothing Industry and the Rise of the Child Consumer (2004), and editor of several books, including The Lived Experiences of Public Consumption (2008). He is co–editor of the journal Childhood.

J. Michael Ryan is Assistant Professor of Sociology at The American University in Cairo (Egypt). He has previously taught at Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales (FLACSO) in Quito, Ecuador and the University of Maryland in the United States. He is co–editor (with George Ritzer) of The Concise Encyclopedia of Sociology (Wiley Blackwell, 2011) and the forthcoming Wiley–Blackwell Encyclopedia of Social Theory (with Bryan S. Turner, et. al.). Before returning to academia, Dr. Ryan worked as a research methodologist at the National Center for Health Statistics (which is part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) in Washington, D.C. His research interests include consumer culture, gender, sexualities, and globalization.