Patriotism and Consumerism in the Civil War
For a burgeoning consumer society, store-bought flags and bonnets offered proof that commercialism could go hand in hand with heartfelt emotion.
Zombies of the Slaughterhouse
The oppressions of Homo sapiens and other species in the US livestock industry aren’t distinct from one another—they’re mutually constitutive.
Fighting for Sex Workers’ Rights in India
Labor unions for sex workers reveal how sexuality, gender, and caste intersect in a precarious and often dangerous work environment.
How We All Got in Debt
Consumer debt shapes American lives so thoroughly that it seems eternal and immortal, but it’s actually relatively new to the financial world.
Can You Copyright a Dress?
Fashion houses in 1920s Paris used copyright laws to protect their designs. In New York, not so much.
Building an Economy on Paper Money
A shortage of coined currency led Pennsylvania to begin using paper money in the 1720s. The British didn't like it, but the colonists did.
Radhakamal Mukerjee and Indian Intellectual Independence
Sociologist Radhakamal Mukerjee helped shape a new view of sociology from an Indian perspective, contributing to the independence movement.
Lyman Stewart: Fundamentalist and Oligarch
American oilman Lyman Stewart embodied the uniquely American paradoxes of what would become capitalist Christian fundamentalism and the prosperity gospel.
The Working Class Roots of Canadian Feminism
The increased participation of women in labor helped create the Canadian feminist movement.
How Consumers Cope With Celebrity Deaths
The sale of celebrity memorabilia increases in the weeks following their death.