EH.N: CfP: 2008 Meeting of the Portuguese Economic History Association

[Rui Pedro Esteves]

2008 Meeting of the Portuguese Economic History Association
"Consumption and Material Culture from the Middle Ages to the Present"
Universidade do Minho
Campus de Azurém
November 22-23 2008

Present day societies are well aware of the 
importance of consumerism in market economy and 
its relationship with changes in society and 
culture. Consumers are held to share a 
significant role in production, since their 
choices dictate the commercial success of some 
products and the failure of others. The logic of 
contemporary consumption has thus invaded other 
areas not traditionally seen as permeated by the 
market, such as cultural industries, religious 
devotions or political choices.

In the past, other forms of consumption prevailed 
not based upon the market economy, such as 
self-consumption and gift economy. The former was 
linked to rural societies (but not only), which 
were not always able to convert goods into cash, 
whilst the latter was related to hierarchical and 
reciprocal social relationships.

On the other hand, material culture dictates the 
quantity and type of commodities available, and 
any technological change reflects itself in 
patterns of consumption.

Until the eighteenth century in Europe, and in 
some areas well beyond it, luxury goods were 
unavailable to other people other than the rich 
and powerful. The industrial revolution and the 
formation of European colonial empires brought 
about the popularisation of goods that the 
general population could not afford in previous 
times. Historians have been trying, among other 
goals, to trace the shift from elite consumption 
into mass consumerism.

Some questions remain open:

- What is the relevance of consumption as an 
economic variable and its impact in economic 
growth?
- How can the economies be differentiated through 
the consideration of patterns and levels of 
consumption?
- How does upward social mobility affect consumption?
- How does urbanization reflect itself in consumption patterns?
- How do colonial imports become mass consumption products?
- How can we trace trajectories of objects, and 
uncover their shifting meanings?
- What is the importance of gift economy to innovations in consumption?
- How do the tastes of commissioners exert an 
influence in art production? What systems of 
value are at stake in the relationship between 
"producers" and consumers?
- How does gender affect consumption?
- How does consumption affect changes in the 
perception of luxury vs. primary goods?

Note: Although this is the general topic of the 
conference, we are open to sessions and papers in 
other subjects.

The XXVIII Conference of the Portuguese Economic 
and Social History Association will have sessions 
in English.

Proposals for papers are invited and should 
consist of a 500-word summary. The proposals of 
communications should be sent to 
<aphes28 at ics.uminho.pt>

Important dates:

Proposals due: April 30, 2008
Papers acceptance: May 30, 2008
Papers due: October 15, 2008

Please also visit the conference website: 
http://www.neps.ics.uminho.pt/aphes28/