Introducing Sociology Using the Stuff of Everyday Life

The goal of this book is for students to develop a sociological imagination, or perspective, that allows them to think broadly about the problems and issues in their individual lives, and move beyond the limitations of myopic individualism. By starting with consumer culture, and the "stuff" it so voluminously produces, this book will encourage students to unpack the back-story behind the stuff they love (and the stuff they hate). Through this process, they will see that the seemingly individual act of shopping - whether that be selecting a tube of toothpaste, or ordering a pair of shoes online - is never a solo experience. Instead, it is a profoundly collective phenomenon that joins the cultural and the material world, individual agents with broader structures, and local realities with global trends.

Josée Johnston is Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Toronto. She is co-author of Foodies: Democracy and Distinction in the Gourmet Foodscape, second edition and Food and Femininity.
Kate Cairns is Assistant Professor in the Department of Childhood Studies at Rutgers University. She is co-author of Food and Femininity.
Shyon Baumann is Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Toronto. He is co-author of Foodies: Democracy and Distinction in the Gourmet Foodscape, second edition.