The World of Goods: Mary Douglas: Collected Works, Volume 6

First published in 1979, this volume introduces a cultural factor to theories of consumption. The World of Goods goes beyond standard economic analyses, which rely on theories of individual psychology. Douglas studies how consumers use goods to fulfil their intentions in regard to one another. The World of Goods insists that goods are wanted for social purposes, for sharing and giving, more than for the private enjoyment that is the pivot of utilitarian explanations. This book offers a completely original way of thinking about consumption as a series of rituals.