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India's Middle Class: New Forms of Urban Leisure, Consumption and Prosperity book cover

1st Edition

India's Middle Class New Forms of Urban Leisure, Consumption and Prosperity

By Christiane Brosius Copyright 2010
416 Pages
by Routledge India

400 Pages
by Routledge India

404 Pages
by Routledge India
Also available as eBook on:
This book examines the complexities of lifestyles of the upwardly mobile middle classes in India in the context of economic liberalisation in the new millennium, by analysing new social formations and aspirations, modes of consumption and ways of being in contemporary urban India. Rich in ethnographic material, the work is based on empirical case-studies, research material, and illustrations.... Read more
List of Plates List of Abbreviations Preface Introduction : India Shining Part I. Belonging to the World-Class City 1. The City Fantastic 2. The Enclaved Gaze: Living Abroad in India 3. ‘Insulate!’ The Celebration of New Gated Habitats 4. Taming the Public City and other Colonial Hangovers 5. Ordering the City and its Citizens Part II. A Spiritual Mega-Experience: The Akshardham Cultural Complex 6. Who is Who at ACC? 7. A Question of Authenticity 8. A Hierarchy of Ritual Performances 9. Theme Park Antecedents and Indigenous Concepts of Leisure Religion 10. Code-Switching and Code-Clashing 11. Critics and Sceptics Part III. ‘Masti! Masti!’ Managing Love, Romance and Beauty 12. ‘For Whom the Bell Rings’: Arranging Marriage 13. ‘All You Need is Wellness’ and a Good Body Conclusion: ‘Indianising’ Modernity Glossary Bibliography About the Author Index

Biography

Christiane Brosius is Professor of Visual and Media Anthropology at the Cluster of Excellence ‘Asia and Europe in a Global Context: Shifting Asymmetries in Cultural Flows’, Heidelberg University.

‘Offering a wealth of data on visual, cultural and spatial practices in urban India . . . [this] is a valuable addition to works on globalisation in India.’ — Economic and Political Weekly

‘[A] book of extraordinary depth and range.’ — Biblio

‘[Brosius] takes us beyond the frequently-discussed role of electronic mass media and Bollywood and analyses quotidian encounters in urban spaces, billboards and popular performances as sites for the production of the "new India".’ — South Asia: Journal of South Asian Studies

‘An insightful and well-written account of an under-researched topic.’ — International Quarterly for Asian Studies

‘[T]he book is an enriching and enjoyable ethnographic reading, especially due to the lucid and fluid quality of writing.’ — Ethnos: Journal of Anthropology

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