{"product_id":"the-sympathetic-consumer-moral-critique-in-capitalist-culture-9781503614635","title":"The Sympathetic Consumer: Moral Critique in Capitalist Culture","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003eConsumers have struggled with the anonymity of consumer goods in capitalist societies, which has led to activist movements such as the Sympathetic Consumer. This book documents the similarities shared by these movements over three centuries, showing how activists wrestled with the broader implications of commodity exchange and concluded that consumers were responsible for sympathizing with invisible laborers. \u003c\/blockquote\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFormat\u003c\/strong\u003e: Hardback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLength\u003c\/strong\u003e: 280 pages\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublication date\u003c\/strong\u003e: 11 May 2021\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublisher\u003c\/strong\u003e: Stanford University Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhen individuals encounter consumer goods such as sugar, clothing, and phones, they often lack comprehensive information about their origins. Consequently, these goods remain anonymous, and the labor involved in their production, as well as the intricate supply chain they traversed, remain concealed. In his book, Tad Skotnicki contends that this encounter is a fundamental characteristic of capitalist societies, a struggle that consumers have grappled with for centuries through activist movements he refers to as the Sympathetic Consumer. This book serves as a comprehensive documentation of the uncanny similarities shared by these movements across three centuries: the transatlantic abolitionist movement, the consumer movements in the United States and England at the turn of the twentieth century, and contemporary Fair Trade activism. Through a comparative historical analysis, the book vividly illustrates how activists engaged with the broader implications of commodity exchange. These activists arrived at a shared understanding of the relationship between consumers, producers, and commodities, ultimately concluding that consumers should empathize with invisible laborers. Ultimately, Skotnicki offers a framework for identifying a capitalist culture by examining how individuals interpret everyday phenomena that are integral to it.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDimension\u003c\/strong\u003e: 229 x 152 (mm)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eISBN-13\u003c\/strong\u003e: 9781503614635\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Tad Skotnicki","offers":[{"title":"Hardback","offer_id":44095727403258,"sku":"9781503614635","price":86.87,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0522\/4297\/2845\/products\/1646156026124_book.jpg?v=1646913206","url":"https:\/\/shulphink.com\/products\/the-sympathetic-consumer-moral-critique-in-capitalist-culture-9781503614635","provider":"Shulph Ink","version":"1.0","type":"link"}