The main argument of this book is that people use material objects to express themselves and their cultures. Drawing on examples from both Western and developing cultures, it shows that everyday objects reflect not only personal tastes and attributes, but also moral principles and social ideals.

Exploring materialism and social relationships in modern culture

Material Culture and Mass Consumption offers an in-depth exploration of objects, objectification, ideology, and materialism in modern society. Drawing from Hegel, Marx, Munn, and Simmel, the discussion delves into the physicality of the material world and attempts to understand materialism as a form of cultural expression. Targeting mass production as the root of mass consumption, rather than the result, this book positions material goods at odds with genuine social interaction and questions these relationships from the abstract to the intensely specific.