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Becoming Consumers: Looking beyond Wealth as an Explanation of Villa Variability. Perspectives from the East of England
Contributor(s): Martins, Christopher Barry (Author)
ISBN: 1841719005     ISBN-13: 9781841719009
Publisher: British Archaeological Reports Oxford Ltd
OUR PRICE:   $79.80  
Product Type: Paperback
Published: December 2005
Qty:
Additional Information
BISAC Categories:
- Social Science | Archaeology
- History | Ancient - General
Dewey: 936
Series: BAR British
Physical Information: 0.57" H x 8.27" W x 11.69" (1.52 lbs) 194 pages
Themes:
- Chronological Period - Ancient (To 499 A.D.)
 
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Publisher Description:

This research provides a comprehensive study of the social and psychological characteristics of modern consumer behaviour that is then used as an interpretative perspective with which to consider the evidence for a selection of villas in Roman Britain. Existing explanations for investment in the country properties of the elite are contextualised and the commonly-applied hypothesis of conspicuous consumption is critiqued. A quantifiable 'costing' model is introduced and consumer theories are summarised against a background of Roman archaeology. The consumer approach allows for a closer look at the decision-making of individuals and the determinants that can influence personal choice. Case-studies are offered that rigorously examine a range of apparently status-enhancing amenities on villas within a framework that focuses on specific consumption arguments. This process serves to question existing orthodoxies. Important and under-appreciated contexts in which social identity could be expressed were the Roman roads that passed close to villas, and this suggestion is explored.