Book Review: French Anthropology and Material Culture

In this article, the author reviews three recent books that have been published on material culture in France. The main orientations of these books have to be understood by reference to French traditional anthropology and the interest in technology and traditional know how as well as to the analysis of Gift. They also illustrate new orientations such as the interest in the analysis of innovation process. The author finally compares the French context of material culture studies to the English context, explaining that the first one has traditionally focused on the study of production and circulation rather than consumption, even though French intellectuals such as Bourdieu and Baudrillard might be seen as having laid down the basis for material culture studies on consumption.