In developing her highly original analysis of the concept of identity, and its contemporary deployments in political and everyday life, her purpose is neither to reject nor defend usage of the term... Identity and Capitalism wrestles with the tensions inherent in crafting and claiming identity in an era when so many of our desires, encounters and expectations, or what we ... Read moremight regard as the raw materials of self and collective expression, are being processed within the commodifying logic of capitalism.
Rosie Meade, School of Applied Social Studies, University College Cork The concept of identity is not apolitical. Through its individualistic focus on difference and its obscuring of social relations, class-based analysis and, potentially, other structural issues, identity risks distorting our understanding of society and ourselves. Moran compellingly raises these issues, relating her arguments to existing interdisciplinary debates not only on the history of identity but its implications for consumption, group-based politics and class.... Moran’s book valuably suggests that the concept of identity continues to require questioning and critique.
Oliver Mallett Marie Moran puts forth a critical investigation that is at once thought provoking and deeply relevant for our field... For those concerned with understanding how key words like leisure and tourism can be used to reinforce as well as to challenge social inequality, this book is essential reading.
Heather Mair, University of Waterloo Canada Show Less