A2 Module 3 - Objects of Desire

Sites of Culture

Spaces and Places
Fictions
Objects of Desire

Theoretical Approaches

Critical Social Theory (Marxism, neo-Marxism, Hegemony Theory)
Feminism
Postmodernism.
Postcolonialism
Poststructuralism
Queer Theory.

 Key Concepts

Ideology
Power
Mode of Address
Discourse
Identity
Narrative
Technology

This topic is about cultural products; items that are invested with meaning in a cultural context. More specifically, these are the goods of consumer society, the items that we are encouraged to covet, to buy, to own and to cherish.

Examples might include cars, mobile phones, laptops, jewellery, designer clothing etc. You will be asked a question in the formal examination, on this topic. The question might be one like this:

“The design and marketing of consumer products tells us all we need to know about power relations in contemporary society.”

Assess this statement using your knowledge of objects of desire.

To answer this question you might look at 'pink products' - the marketing of phones, ipods, laptops, hairdryers etc specifically aimed at women and hence literally packaged in pink to appeal to this market. You might criticise this 'mode of address' as a stereotype and an insult to women - that gender identity is developed from a narrow range of possibilities such as love of pink and that women have problems dealing with technology unless it is 'feminised'!! Pink is also used to sell to the homosexual and lesbian market.

Here are some links - Rose rage: Pink products for women
La vie en rose Next month sees the launch of Fly Pink, an airline aimed at women
Women tempted by gadgets
Pink Products
Technology's gender balancing act

Should we not dress girls in pink?

By Claire Bates (BBC)
Ask a little girl what her favourite colour is, and chances are she'll shout "pink". Toy aisles and clothing rails are packed with this shade, but is nothing but pink for girls harmful?

A car you learned to drive in

When you think Vauxhall, you probably don't think of cool. Or hip. Or flash. Or snazzy. Or any of those other diaphanous terms that marketing men trade in.

What are the iconic objects of the decade?

As we enter the last few weeks of the 2000s, the Magazine is asking readers to tell the story of the last 10 years