Frontmatter and Editorial

In lieu of an abstract, here is the first paragraph of the editorial: We live in an increasingly materialistic society in which nearly everything is for sale. The effects of this development are ambivalent: while we can pick and choose the accoutrements that best fit our lives and the image we want to project, the ability to fulfill those wishes and goals is still impacted and dictated by our class status, our gender, our sexual orientation and our race. What I can consume depends on the amount of currency I have – be it social, cultural or monetary. And with the freedom to consume also comes the pressure to do so. Membership and acceptance in a community can be dependent on our ability to buy the latest fashion and the newest gadget or to travel to the hippest vacation spot. And this pressure, too, is gendered: adhering to beauty standards, for a woman, often involves footing the bill for expensive make-up, clothes, gym memberships or even plastic surgery. In this issue of gender forum, the contributors discuss various aspects of consumer culture and examine the myriad and often problematic ways in which consumption and gender are interrelated.