Berger, Arthur Asa, 1933-

What objects mean : an introduction to material culture / Arthur Asa Berger. - Second Edition. - 269 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm

S. Sanchez (Recommending faculty) AY 2022-2023

Includes bibliographical references (pages 253-261) and index.

Machine generated contents note: Preface Part I: Theoretical Approaches to Material Culture Chapter 1: Making Sense of Material Culture Chapter 2: A Freudian Psychoanalytic Approach Chapter 3: Semiotic Approaches to Material Culture Chapter 4: Sociological Analysis of Material Culture Chapter 5: Economic Theory, Marxism, and Material Culture Chapter 6: Cultural Theory and Material Culture Chapter 7: Archaeological Theory and Material Culture Part II: Applications Chapter 8: Exchange: Kula Objects Chapter 9: Style: Blue Jeans Chapter 10: Technology: Smartphone Chapter 11: Globalization: Coca-Cola Chapter 12: Identity: Blonde Hair Dye Chapter 13: Transformations: Books Chapter 14: Reality: Facebook Chapter 15: Shape: Milk Cartons Chapter 16: Diffusion: Bagels Chapter 17: Narratives: Manga Chapter 18: Nationalism: American Flag Part III: Material Culture Games Bibliography Index About the Author.

"Arthur Asa Berger, author of an array of texts in communication, popular culture, and social theory, is back with the second edition of his popular, user-friendly guide for students who want to understand the social meanings of objects. In this broadly interdisciplinary text, Berger takes the reader through half a dozen theoretical models that are commonly used to analyze objects. He then describes and analyzes eleven objects, many of them new to this edition-including smartphones, Facebook, hair dye, and the American flag-showing how they demonstrate concepts like globalization, identity, and nationalism. The book includes a series of exercises that allow students to analyse objects in their own environment. Brief and inexpensive, this introductory guide will be used in courses ranging from anthropology to art history, pop culture to psychology"--

9781611329049 (paperback)

2014007949


Material culture.
Material culture--Philosophy.
Culture--Semiotic models.
SOCIAL SCIENCE / Popular Culture.


Fundamentals of Design in Communication and Media--CMA106

GN406 / .B473 2014

306.4/6