HIS4354 – The History of Consumption
Course description
Course content
The history of consumerism in the twentieth century has become a vital and vibrant area of academic research. This module offers insights into this relatively new field of work taking a broad transnational perspective. The aim is to show that the history of consumption is a promising alternative approach to the historical analysis of society. The module combines traditional political history with recent research topics, such as environment, generation and gender relations. Strong emphasis will be laid on the interaction of consumption, politics, society and economy within different European political systems. Throughout the seminars there will be made use of different kinds of primary material, ranging from more traditional written sources to visual materials such as posters and adverts.
Learning outcome
After you have taken this course you are expected to be able to:
- Understand and discuss the dynamics of consumption societies, situated in the wider context of European and American modern history
- Explore the ways consumption has become an topic of interest to historians and historical research
- Critically read and discuss case studies on relevant aspects of consumer cultures
- Develop your skills in reading critically, thinking independently, and writing clearly, especially through the writing of your own essay on a topic related to the course
Admission to the course
The course is available to students admitted to Historie (master).
Students who are admitted to study programmes at UiO must each semester register which courses and exams they wish to sign up for in Studentweb.
If you are not already enrolled as a student at UiO, please see our information about admission requirements and procedures.
Formal prerequisite knowledge
No obligatory prerequisites beyond the minimum requirements for entrance to higher education in Norway.