Editors Note: This is an archived blog post from 8/3/2013.

History, Consumption & Inequality

Thursday, 6 June 2013

Magdalene College, Cambridge

A workshop organized by the Research Network on Inequality, Social Science & History, a collaboration between the universities of Manchester and Cambridge.

CALL FOR PAPERS: DEADLINE 31^st MARCH 2013

Abstracts of no more than 300 words should be submitted to: inequality@manchester.ac.uk

The AHRC Network can cover travel and accommodation costs.

The act and politic of consumption is closely linked with the structuring of inequalities. Individuals and social groups mark social boundaries through differentiated consumption as we well know (think, for instance of how clothes become markers of status). In other instances, it can be a widely shared habit or preference that serves to exclude a minority, whose non-consumption of a given product – say alcohol – serves to differentiate it. But the two intersect in many other ways – symbols of difference can the challenged through consumption itself, for instance when massification erodes the ‘distinction’ of a given good, or the way in which a good is consumed can also have significant implications for inequality, for instance through forms of consumer activism (either in the form of boycotts or preferences – ‘eat british!’) or collective and cooperative consumption.

In sum, we think there are very interesting links to explore in the relationship between consumption and inequality. In recent years the history of consumption has become one of the most vibrant areas of research, so we have decided to bring it into a focused conversation with topics of inequality by organising a one-day workshop, which will take place in Cambridge on 6 June 2013.

If you are interested in presenting a paper, see the call here (deadline is the end of March), or email inequality@manchester.ac.uk if you would like more details.

You can also see the project site here, and follow the Inequality & History blog here.