HST5394 - Consumed: American Consumer Culture from the 18th to the 21st century

From Amazon.com to the Mall of America - some of the world's most sophisticated selling technologies emerged in the United States. In fact, some have called consumption America's true national pastime. But how did this culture of consumption take shape? And what does it mean for a global community today? Surveying the transformation of America's consumer culture, this module explores what power the consumer has commanded in American society. We will examine how critiques of consumption shaped the course of American politics, economics and social order. And as we enter an era where everything - including health, friendship and even love is commodified - we will explore the limits of consumer culture. Will the twenty-first century finally see the end of consumer culture as we know it?