Blaszczyk (history and sociology of science, U. of Pennsylvania) describes the emergence and historical evolution of US consumer society. He describes three distinct periods: the Victorian era,
from 1865 to 1900, wherein economic expansion and the appearance of new types of retailers enabled the middle class to define themselves through the goods they placed in their homes; the Modern
era, 1900 to World War II, which saw a growing consumer society and the emergence of brand marketing; and the Boomer era, 1945 to 2005, wherein mass consumption expanded beyond the middle class
with an explosion of consumer electronics and marketable content and, simultaneously, brand marketing evolved into niche marketing. Annotation 穢2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
