Material Cultures

Synopsis
A collection of case studies which move from the domestic sphere to the global arena, this work includes examinations of the soundscape produced by home radios, catalogue shopping, the role of paper in the workplace, and the relation between the production and consumption of Coca-Cola in Trinidad. The diversity of the essays is mediated by their common commitment to ethnography with a material focus. Rather than examining objects as mirages of media or language, the book emphasizes how the study of objects not only contributes to an understanding of artifacts but is also an effective means of studying social values and contradictions.