Routledge - The Consumption of Culture 1600-1800 Book

Explore a radical new interpretation of early modern social history with The Consumption of Culture 1600-1800: Image, Object, Text. This academic work argues that culture only truly becomes culture through the act of consumption. Published by Routledge, this volume brings together leading specialists from North America and Europe to examine how social structures changed during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Readers will gain insights into the formation of a consuming public and the development of the literary canon. The text also examines how consumption helped shape the modern state. By looking at both elite and popular forms of cultural engagement, this book provides a rich perspective on how people interacted with the world around them. It specifically addresses the role of women as consumers of culture, offering a comprehensive view of the era. This is an essential resource for students and historians interested in the social and cultural shifts of the early modern period.