Cover
Half Title
Dedication
Title Page
Copyright Page
Table of Contents
Preface
Part I: Theoretical Approaches to Material Culture
Chapter 1: Making Sense of Material Culture
Defining Material Culture
The Blue Carbuncle as a Model for the Study of Material Culture
On the Nature of Theory
Nietzsche and Perspectivism
The Rashomon Problem
Chapter 2: A Freudian Psychoanalytic Approach
Artifacts and the Unconscious: Freud's Topographic Hypothesis
Id, Ego and Superego: Freud's Structural Hypothesis
Symbolic Aspects of Material Culture
Sexual Development and Material Culture
Conclusions
Chapter 3: Semiotic Approaches to Material Culture
Saussure on Signs
Problems with Interpreting Signs
Peirce on Signs
Roland Barthes on the Semiotics of Objects
On the Veracity of Signs
Denotation and Connotation
Conclusions
Chapter 4: Sociological Analysis of Material Culture
Sociological Theory
Functionalism
Taste Cultures
Uses and Gratifications Provided by Artifacts
Race, Ethnicity, and Gender
Status
Role
Jean Baudrillard on The System of Objects
Conclusions
Chapter 5: Economic Theory, Marxism, and Material Culture
Needs Versus Desires: Traveling Light and Arriving Heavy
Marxist Theory and Alienation
Class Conflict
The Role of Advertising
Thorsten Veblen and Conspicuous Consumption
Max Weber and Calvinist-Protestant Thought
Georg Simmel on Fashion
Walter Benjamin and the Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction
Authenticity and Postmodern Thought
John Berger on Objects and Advertising
Conclusions
Chapter 6: Cultural Theory and Material Culture
Culture
Clotaire Rapaille and Culture Codes
Mary Douglas and Grid-Group Theory
Myth and Material Culture
The Myth Model and Material Culture.

Mark Gottdiener on Cultural Studies
Conclusions
Chapter 7: Archaeological Theory and Material Culture
The Cultural History and Anthropological Archaeology Approaches
Processual Theory
Post-Processual Theory
Archaeology's Contribution to Material Culture Theory
Conclusions
Part II: Applications
Chapter 8: Exchange
Chapter 9: Style
Chapter 10: Technology
Chapter 11: Globalization
Chapter 12: Identity
Chapter 13: Transformations
Chapter 14: Sociability
Chapter 15: Shape
Chapter 16: Diffusion
Chapter 17: Narratives
Chapter 18: Nationalism
Part III: Material Culture Games
The Artifacts Inventory Game
The Time Capsule Game
Disciplinary Perspectives on Objects
The Grid-Group Theory and Objects Game
The Objects and Personal Identity Game
The Signifying Objects Game
Disciplinary Writing Exercise
The Analyzing Artifact Advertisements Game
The Id/Ego/Superego Objects Game
The Functions of Objects Game
The Myth Model Game
References
Index
About the Author.