Even in tiny farming villages in the highlands of New Guinea, men and
women wear different clothes, display different kinds of jewelry and
adornments, and have distinct kinds of possessions. Today Americans
believe that tiny baby boys and girls need different kinds of toys,
books, diapers and even soap. In this class we will explore the way
that gender is created with and through the things we buy, own, wear
and eat. We will look at the way our society, built on consumption and
mass media, creates and enforces particular ideas about gender. The
class will read about the history of shopping, cooking, cosmetics,
clothing, and cars. A good deal of the semester will be devoted to
fieldwork aimed at excavating our own gendered consumption practices,
the meanings of our own possessions. We will ask if it is possible to
change or challenge gender norms and stereotypes through our own
shopping and consumption.