Historical and Cultural App roaches to Consumption

Historical and Cultural Approaches to Consumption examines how consumption has evolved over time and how it varies across different societies and cultural contexts. In this book, Russell W. Belk brings together research that places consumer behavior within broader historical, anthropological, and sociological frameworks.

From ancient trade practices to modern-day consumer rituals, Belk explores how values, traditions, and collective identities shape what, how, and why people consume. He draws from cross-cultural case studies to highlight the impact of religion, tradition, colonialism, and modernization on consumption practices across the globe.

This book invites readers to see consumption not as a modern economic activity alone but as a deep-rooted cultural process that reflects identity, power structures, and societal change. Scholars of marketing, cultural studies, anthropology, and history will find valuable insights in this book.

Part of the Legend in Consumer Behavior series, this work offers a rich, contextualized view of consumption across time and space.