The Meaning of Things: Domestic Symbols and the Self (Paperback)

by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (Author), Eugene Halton (Author) "Humans display the intriguing characteristic of making and using objects..." (more)
Key Phrases: terminal materialism, transactions with objects, cool families, Hannah Arendt, Middle Ages, Jackson Personality Research Form (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
The meaning of things is a study of the significance of material possessions in contemporary urban life, and of the ways people carve meaning out of their domestic environment. Drawing on a survey of eighty families in Chicago who were interviewed on the subject of their feelings about common household objects, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi and Eugene Rochberg-Halton provide a unique perspective on materialism, American culture, and the self. They begin by reviewing what social scientists and philosophers have said about the transactions between people and things. In the model of 'personhood' that the authors develop, goal-directed action and the cultivation of meaning through signs assume central importance. They then relate theoretical issues to the results of their survey. An important finding is the distinction between objects valued for action and those valued for contemplation. The authors compare families who have warm emotional attachments to their homes with those in which a common set of positive meanings is lacking, and interpret the different patterns of involvement. They then trace the cultivation of meaning in case studies of four families. Finally, the authors address what they describe as the current crisis of environmental and material exploitation, and suggest that human capacities for the creation and redirection of meaning offer the only hope for survival. A wide range of scholars - urban and family sociologists, clinical, developmental and environmental psychologists, cultural anthropologists and philosophers, and many general readers - will find this book stimulating and compelling.

About the Author
Eugene Halton is Professor of Sociology and American Studies at the University of Notre Dame. In addition to being coauthor of The Meaning of Things, he is author of Bereft of Reason (1995, 1997), Meaning and Modernity (1986), and a forthcoming book on American culture.

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (January 12, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 052128774X
• ISBN-13: 978-0521287746
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #403,693 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Transformer, September 26, 2007

By	Charles A. Colburn "Chasiboy" (Maryland) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is classic Csikszentmihalyi. He and Rochberg-Halton hit the ball out of the park!

History, scientific analysis, a survey and the ability to hold it all together blend to enable the reader to get a glimpse of a sustainable future. This book is like a good play, the intriguing teaser front end, the slogging thru volumes of information, the wondering if you should walk out during the intermission because of TMI (too much information), and the roller coaster ride you get once the story tips into the final run to the climax.

The authors begin to see patterns flowing from their survey that reach way beyond their initial hopes and they are able to gather this information, combine it with historical and scientific data, and pitch a proactive and beautifully simple way of beginning to transform our understanding of ourselves so that we may engage meaningful challenges and new ways of reflection