Lynne Pettinger, “Work, Consumption and Capitalism” (Palgrave Macmillan, 2015)

What do jeans tell us about the contemporary world? They provide the starting point for Lynne Pettinger‘s Work, Consumption and Capitalism (Palgrave Macmillan, 2015). Pettinger, an associate professor of sociology at the University of Warwick, examines the interrelationships between work and consumption, bringing a global perspective to these intertwined areas of social life. The book introduces core theories of capitalism, work, bodies, emotions and markets, with key examples including the fashion industry and other ‘aesthetic’ economies. The book has a profound concern with the ethics of work and consumption, challenging ideas of what a good job or good work may be. Well written, with accessible examples and easy to follow discussions of complex ideas, Work, Consumption and Capitalism will be of interest to a range of social science scholars and students.

Dave OBrien is the host of New Books In Critical Theory and is a Senior Lecturer in Cultural Policy at the Institute for Cultural and Creative Entrepreneurship, Goldsmiths College, University of London. His research covers a range of areas between sociology and political science, including work on the British Civil Service, British Cultural Policy, cultural labour, and urban regeneration. His most recent books are Cultural Policy: Management, Value and Modernity in the Creative Industries and After Urban Regeneration (edited with Dr Peter Matthews). He tweets@Drdaveobrien

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