In human geography, as in other social sciences, much recent work has focused on contemporary consumption practices. The aim of this paper is to bring historical perspectives on consumption to bear on theorisations of contemporary consumption, It is contended that many such theorisations are deficient because they inaccurately characterise the history of modern consumption. As a result, they are prone to stress novelty where there is continuity (and vice versa). It is suggested that the importance of several oft-stressed facets of contemporary consumption has been exaggerated, but the authors also seek to identify aspects of contemporary consumption that are genuinely important and novel.
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