Capitalism and the Senses

Capitalism and the Senses explores how capitalism has shaped and been shaped by everyday sensory experiences, from the manipulation of taste and texture in the food industry to the engineering of the feel of artificial fabrics. The result is an innovative ensemble that demonstrates how the drive to exploit sensorial experience for profit became a defining feature of capitalist modernity.

Format: Hardback
Length: 312 pages
Publication date: 13 June 2023
Publisher: University of Pennsylvania Press

Capitalism and the Senses is a groundbreaking collection of essays that delves into the intricate relationship between capitalism and the human senses. As Karl Marx famously observed, if the senses have a history, then it is inseparable from the development of capitalism, which has both taken advantage of the senses and influenced how sensory experience has evolved over time. This pioneering volume showcases how the senses of sight, hearing, taste, smell, and touch have been shaped and molded by commercial interests from the turn of the twentieth century to the present day. From the manipulation of taste and texture in the food industry to the meticulous engineering of the feel of artificial fabrics, capitalist enterprises have sought to commodify the senses in a myriad of ways. Drawing on a diverse range of disciplines such as history, anthropology, geography, and more, the essays in this collection analyze not only where this effort has succeeded but also where the senses have resisted control and the logic of markets. The result is an innovative and thought-provoking ensemble that demonstrates how the drive to exploit sensorial experience for profit became a defining characteristic of capitalist modernity and establishes the senses as an essential dimension of the history of capitalism.

The contributors to this volume are a diverse group of scholars and experts who bring their unique perspectives to the study of capitalism and the senses. Nicholas Anderman, Regina Lee Blaszczyk, Jessica P. Clark, Ai Hisano, Lisa Jacobson, Sven Kube, Grace Lees-Maffei, Ingemar Pettersson, David Suisman, Ana María Ulloa, and Nicole Welk-Joerger are just a few of the notable scholars who have contributed to this important work. Each essay offers a fresh and insightful analysis of the ways in which capitalism and the senses intersect, and together, they provide a comprehensive and interdisciplinary understanding of this complex relationship.

In conclusion, Capitalism and the Senses is a must-read for anyone interested in the intersection of capitalism, culture, and the human senses. This groundbreaking collection offers a wealth of insights and perspectives that will challenge readers to think critically about the ways in which the forces of capitalism are entangled with our everyday experiences. By exploring the historical, cultural, and social dimensions of the senses, this volume establishes the senses as an important dimension of the history of capitalism and provides a valuable roadmap for future research and analysis.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781512824209