Exploring the evolving significance of kitsch through a variety of objects, this book delves into themes such as cultural politics and taste. It offers a unique perspective by examining items like bottle gardens and designer gnomes, aiming to enrich discussions in cultural studies and sociology. The work serves as both a scholarly resource and an accessible introduction for students and readers curious about the complexities of taste in contemporary culture.
By examining clutter and procrastination, this book challenges the notion of constant efficiency in personal productivity. It critiques the self-help industry's failure to consider the social and historical contexts of mess and fatigue. Tracing the evolution of productivity culture from industrial settings to home life, it highlights how societal expectations shape our views on organization and focus. The author explores the concept of being "neither use nor ornament," aiming to deconstruct the moral judgments surrounding perceived inefficiencies and the pressures they create.
From bottle gardens, batman and the bachelor pad to garden gnomes and monogamy spray, this book uses a range of objects to explore the meanings and uses of kitsch. An accessible, comprehensive introduction for students and informed readers, it adds to debates on taste in cultural theory and sociology and provides a review of the literature. -- .
Beautyscapes is the first book to focus specifically on cosmetic surgery tourism. It draws on key themes of interest to students and researchers interested in globalisation and mobility, such as gender and class, neoliberalism, social media, conviviality and care, to explain the nature and growing popularity of international medical travel. -- .