Material and Consumer Culture Network

Products, environments, circuits and people

Our focus in this network is on the production, distribution and consumption of material goods, and the systems of value, knowledge and meaning that link these together. We are concerned with the materiality of objects, technologies and environments, and the ways in which this creates discourses and impacts upon people and space. This is closely tied to an interest in the social and cultural frameworks within which these material objects circulate and acquire or generate meaning.

Chairs: 

Christine Fertig, University of Münster, Germany

Jon Stobart, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK

Ilja van Damme, University of Antwerp, Belgium

 

In 2027 our particular focus will be on consumption in a global context

Consumption brings together goods, people and ideas. However, the myriad ways in which these combine vary across space and time, responding to and moulding local, national and global economics and cultures. We welcome papers and sessions focusing on all aspects of consumption and material culture, but particularly encourage those linking to global history narratives and comparative/ transnational approaches. Topics might include:

  • How global goods interact with local systems of supply, distribution and consumption practices
  • Global-local mobility of people: travel or tourism as consumption
  • Comparative and transnational approaches to consumption within and beyond Europe
  • The impact of European and non-European empires on the movement of goods and practices
  • Approaches which foreground global commodity chain (GCC) analysis, in mapping the entire lifecycle from raw materials to finished consumer goods

You can propose an individual paper: the network chairs will assemble papers to sessions, or allocate them to an appropriate session. However, we especially invite session proposals, to include four papers on a specific theme, plus a chair and a discussant/commentator. Ideally, sessions will include a mix of countries, and must include a mix of universities. Comparative and inter-disciplinary sessions are particularly encouraged.

Sessions take two hours, with oral presentations and a comment of c.15 minutes, and half an hour minimum is reserved for a plenary discussion. The conference language is English.

Proposals for individual papers or panels should be submitted via the ESSHC website. We welcome the opportunity to discuss panel proposals in advance of formal submission.