CS 400M

How do consumers make discernments between products attaching themselves to some while possibly detaching themselves from others? A cultural-economy approach examines the processes by which qualities of goods are attributed, stabilized, objectified, and arranged. How this happens is not only a matter of the intrinsic qualities of the good but it is also derived through the attribution of extrinsic qualities which are expressed in evaluations and judgements. In this seminar we shall reflect upon these processes and examine the ways in which the presentation of goods and services to consumers works to endow them with desirous qualities. In particular, our focus will be on product packaging and promotion and the way in which discourses of healthism, sustainability, and ethical consumption are articulated to add value to otherwise difficult to distinguish products.