SOCI 2011 - Consumption, Work and the Self II

The contemporary focus on the individual as distinct from society is one of the hallmarks of post-industrial western societies. The ways in which young people are increasingly invited to imagine and construct their identity through consumption as opposed to other aspects of the self, such as work, community relations or ethical beliefs is a particular concern of the course. This is an applied course which examines new and emerging theories, practices and experiences of consumption, work and identity and how they relate to current debates around citizenship in the broader context. Students will focus on examples drawn from advertising and the rhetoric of capitalism, personal self-presentation and development, lifestyle marketing, financial aspirations, regulation of work, the music industry and urban living. Students will be required to undertake a textual or discourse analysis as part of the applied component of the course. They will also be required to undertake a critical reflection of their own experiences of work and consumption.