The Sex of Things: Gender and Consumption in Historical Perspective

The Sex of Things: Gender and Consumption in Historical Perspective examines the relationship between gender and consumer culture from the 1800s through the twentieth century. Editor Victoria de Grazia brings together essays from thirteen scholars who analyze how consumption practices shaped and reflected gender roles across Europe and the United States. Through case studies spanning multiple countries and time periods, the collection explores topics like department stores, advertising, domestic purchasing, and the rise of mass consumer culture. The essays investigate how women's roles as consumers intersected with class dynamics, political movements, and changing social norms. The contributing authors draw on diverse historical sources including advertisements, business records, personal letters, and government documents to reconstruct past consumer behaviors and attitudes. A particular focus is placed on how consumption became increasingly feminized over time while simultaneously serving as a means of both constraint and liberation for women. This academic work provides insights into how consumer culture has historically influenced gender identity and power relations in modern Western society. The collection contributes to ongoing discussions about the complex relationships between commerce, social structures, and personal agency.

Readers appreciate the book's examination of consumption patterns through a gender lens across different historical periods and cultures. Multiple reviewers note the value of case studies spanning Europe and America from the 18th-20th centuries. Liked: - Clear connections between gender roles and consumer behavior - Research quality and academic rigor - Coverage of diverse geographical regions and time periods Disliked: - Dense academic writing style that can be difficult to follow - Some essays more engaging than others - Price point noted as high for a paperback Ratings: Goodreads: 3.9/5 (21 ratings) Amazon: 4.5/5 (2 reviews) Google Books: No ratings available One academic reviewer on Amazon noted: "The essays provide interesting historical context for understanding modern consumption patterns." A Goodreads reviewer criticized: "The academic language made parts challenging to get through, though the content itself was fascinating."

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When Ladies Go A-Thieving by Elaine S. Abelson This study explores the emergence of department stores, shoplifting, and middle-class women's consumer behavior in nineteenth-century New York and Paris.

Counter Cultures by Susan Porter Benson The work analyzes the intersection of gender, class, and consumption through the experiences of department store saleswomen in the early twentieth century.

Satisfaction Guaranteed by Susan Strasser This economic history traces how mass marketing transformed American consumer culture and domestic life from 1865 to 1920.

🔷 The book examines how gender roles shaped consumption patterns from the 18th to 20th centuries across Europe and North America, revealing how shopping became increasingly associated with feminine identity. 🔷 Victoria De Grazia is a Professor at Columbia University who pioneered research in gender studies and consumer culture, particularly in modern European history and Italian fascism. 🔷 The collection features essays from 13 different scholars, making it one of the first comprehensive works to analyze consumption through a gender-focused lens. 🔷 The book demonstrates how department stores in the late 19th century created "feminine spaces" that allowed women to move freely in public without male escorts for the first time. 🔷 Research in the book reveals that Nazi Germany actively promoted consumer culture among women, contrary to popular belief that consumerism was solely associated with Western democracies.