The Comfort of Things

Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science, Anthropology
Cover of the book The Comfort of Things by Daniel Miller, Wiley
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Daniel Miller ISBN: 9780745655369
Publisher: Wiley Publication: April 24, 2013
Imprint: Polity Language: English
Author: Daniel Miller
ISBN: 9780745655369
Publisher: Wiley
Publication: April 24, 2013
Imprint: Polity
Language: English

What do we know about ordinary people in our towns and cities, about what really matters to them and how they organize their lives today? This book visits an ordinary street and looks into thirty households. It reveals the aspirations and frustrations, the tragedies and accomplishments that are played out behind the doors. It focuses on the things that matter to these people, which quite often turn out to be material things – their house, the dog, their music, the Christmas decorations. These are the means by which they express who they have become, and relationships to objects turn out to be central to their relationships with other people – children, lovers, brothers and friends.

If this is a typical street in a modern city like London, then what kind of society is this? It’s not a community, nor a neighbourhood, nor is it a collection of isolated individuals. It isn’t dominated by the family. We assume that social life is corrupted by materialism, made superficial and individualistic by a surfeit of consumer goods, but this is misleading. If the street isn’t any of these things, then what is it?

This brilliant and revealing portrayal of a street in modern London, written by one the most prominent anthropologists, shows how much is to be gained when we stop lamenting what we think we used to be and focus instead on what we are now becoming. It reveals the forms by which ordinary people make sense of their lives, and the ways in which objects become our companions in the daily struggle to make life meaningful.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

What do we know about ordinary people in our towns and cities, about what really matters to them and how they organize their lives today? This book visits an ordinary street and looks into thirty households. It reveals the aspirations and frustrations, the tragedies and accomplishments that are played out behind the doors. It focuses on the things that matter to these people, which quite often turn out to be material things – their house, the dog, their music, the Christmas decorations. These are the means by which they express who they have become, and relationships to objects turn out to be central to their relationships with other people – children, lovers, brothers and friends.

If this is a typical street in a modern city like London, then what kind of society is this? It’s not a community, nor a neighbourhood, nor is it a collection of isolated individuals. It isn’t dominated by the family. We assume that social life is corrupted by materialism, made superficial and individualistic by a surfeit of consumer goods, but this is misleading. If the street isn’t any of these things, then what is it?

This brilliant and revealing portrayal of a street in modern London, written by one the most prominent anthropologists, shows how much is to be gained when we stop lamenting what we think we used to be and focus instead on what we are now becoming. It reveals the forms by which ordinary people make sense of their lives, and the ways in which objects become our companions in the daily struggle to make life meaningful.

More books from Wiley

Cover of the book Transition Metal-Catalyzed Couplings in Process Chemistry by Daniel Miller
Cover of the book Lead, Sell, or Get Out of the Way by Daniel Miller
Cover of the book Recent Advances in Polyphenol Research by Daniel Miller
Cover of the book Balanced Scorecard für Dummies by Daniel Miller
Cover of the book Bogle On Mutual Funds by Daniel Miller
Cover of the book The Handbook of the Neuropsychology of Language by Daniel Miller
Cover of the book Rookie Teaching For Dummies by Daniel Miller
Cover of the book Stress in ASME Pressure Vessels, Boilers, and Nuclear Components by Daniel Miller
Cover of the book Temperature and Plant Development by Daniel Miller
Cover of the book X by Daniel Miller
Cover of the book The Neuroscience of Visual Hallucinations by Daniel Miller
Cover of the book Assessing the Online Learner by Daniel Miller
Cover of the book The 106 Common Mistakes Homebuyers Make (and How to Avoid Them) by Daniel Miller
Cover of the book Cost Estimation by Daniel Miller
Cover of the book Losing Eden by Daniel Miller
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy