Matleena Frisk studies a period in history during which Finnish consumers became fond of disposable products, such as paper tablecloths, napkins, and even disposable sheets. How did these cheap substitutes become fashionable, and how did they change our culture? Professor Frank Trentmann tells us how the cult of novelty was born and what could be found in landfills in the 17th century. Looking at history raises a moral question: is it better to waste a little and not think about it, or consume a lot and have a bad conscience?
The Consumer Society Research Centre publishes the Podcast series ”Kulutuksen vallassa” ("(em)powered by consumption"), which focuses on questions related to the power of consumers and consumption in society. A new episode comes out every second week during autumn 2022. The series can also be found on Spotify and Apple Podcast.