{"product_id":"socialist-good-life","title":"Socialist Good Life","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhat does the good life mean in a \"backward\" place? \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs communist regimes denigrated widespread unemployment and consumer excess in Western countries, socialist Eastern European states simultaneously legitimized their power through their apparent ability to satisfy consumers' needs. Moving beyond binaries of production and consumption, the essays collected here examine the lessons consumption studies can offer about ethnic and national identity and the role of economic expertise in shaping consumer behavior. From Polish VCRs to Ukrainian fashion boutiques, tropical fruits in the GDR to cinemas in Belgrade, \u003ci\u003eThe Socialist Good Life\u003c\/i\u003e explores what consumption means in a worker state where communist ideology emphasizes collective needs over individual pleasures.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Indiana University Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Product","offer_id":54229629403480,"sku":"9780253047793","price":31.99,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0278\/1295\/4195\/files\/9780253047793__67658222dc210.jpg?v=1741136064","url":"https:\/\/agendabookshop.com\/products\/socialist-good-life","provider":"Agenda Bookshop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}