Complicated Lives: The Malaise of Modernity

248 Pages·2005·1.39 MB·English

by  Michael Willmott, William Nelson

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COMPLICATED
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L IVES
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The Malaise of Modernity
Michael Willmott
and
William Nelson
iii
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COMPL ICATED
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L IVES
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i
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COMPLICATED
.........................................................................................
L IVES
...................................
The Malaise of Modernity
Michael Willmott
and
William Nelson
iii
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Copyright ⃝C 2005 Michael Willmott and William Nelson
Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd, The Atrium, Southern Gate, Chichester,
West Sussex PO19 8SQ, England
Telephone [phone]
Email (for orders and customer service enquiries):
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For everyone who feels the pressure of complicated lives.
And for Marianne and Charlie, who help us with ours.
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CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS xi
INTRODUCTION xv
Life could be easier xv
1 IT’S A COMPLICATED LIFE 1
Why is life becoming more complex? 3
Technology and complexity 9
The manifestation of increasing complexity 11
Complicated times – understanding time and priorities 17
Navigating a complex world 19
2 THE NEW INDIVIDUALISM 21
The affluent society 23
A more demanding and marketing-literate consumer 25
Seeking fulfilment and experiences – the lure of
cultural capital 27
Self-expression and ‘inconspicuous’ consumption 29
Wanting it all 31
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