In this course, we will examine various ways that people infuse social meaning into material things. Course materials were selected to emphasize a social science perspective on the topic of the social meaning of goods, rather than a marketing one. Instead of an exclusive focus on advertising, the course will delve into the larger social and cultural contexts of consumption, presently and historically. These contexts include festivals, rituals, themed environments, urban landscapes and globalized branding, among others. The key point to be gleaned from the course is that goods, products and commodities do not, in themselves, “have” intrinsic meaning and value, but acquire these in and through social relations.