Decolonising consumption, the hegemony of consumer culture and the politics of consumption: an interview with Roberta Sassatelli

Abstract

Italian sociologist Roberta Sassatelli is well known for her work on consumption. She was educated and has taught in Italy and the UK and writes and publishes in both languages, and her work has been widely translated. Probably best known for Consumer Culture: History, Theory and Politics (2007), she has written extensively on consumer culture, cultural theory, gender studies, the sociology of the body, food, leisure studies and visual studies. Her recent books include the edited collection Italians and Food (Palgrave, 2019) and Corpo, genere e società (Il Mulino, 2018, with R. Ghigi). She is a Full Professor at the University of Bologna and Co-Editor of the European Journal of Sociology. Consumption and Society editors Stefan Wahlen and Dan Welch sat down with Roberta to discuss consumer culture, the politics of consumption, authenticity, the sharing economy, food and the body, and the future of consumption studies.