A Cultural History of Shopping

Necessity. Bother. Indulgence. Obsession. Shopping has been part of the cultural landscape since antiquity and is an endlessly complicated process that is more than just adding items to a cart (be that electronic or wooden). It is gendered, political, and environmental. It defines culture and self. In short, it is a fraught, layered, and fascinating subject. This series offers a deep dive into the many complexities surrounding the topic in a six-volume set; the collection is also part of the Bloomsbury Cultural History digital library. The coverage areas include antiquity, the Middle Ages, the early Modern Age, the Enlightenment, “the Age of Revolution and Empire,” and the Modern Age; all told, coverage ranges from 500 BCE to 2000+ CE. Each volume follows the same template and is arranged into thematic chapters that address “Practices and Processes,” “Spaces and Places,” “Shoppers and Identities,” “Luxury and Everyday,” “Home and Family,” “Visual and Literary Representations,” “Reputation, Trust and Credit,” and “Governance, Regulation and the State.” Each volume has its own editor and texts by a range of contributors. The works are illustrated, and the tone is both scholarly and accessible; while not designed to be dipped into, the essays surely can make for fascinating reading.