Gudrun Anderson, history, uppsala university

The Consuming Bourgeoisie. Retailing and Consumption in Sweden, c. 1750-1850

2007-2012

The original aim of this project was to study the prehistory and progress of the Swedish consumer society, focusing on material culture. During the period 1750-1850, the Swedish bourgeoisie established itself as a powerful group in society, and consumption is seen as an important part of their image and identity. Thus, the broader societal context is central for understanding the role played by consumption. The project contained three studies: supply of goods, marketing and actual consumption.

Some changes have already been made. The supply study would, according to the expert reports, be too complicated to carry through. The work has taken yet another direction, and will focus on the bourgeoisie´s values and self-image in general, including consumption as an important aspect.

One reason for this change is that we lack knowledge about the values for such a central societal group. Since the bourgeoisie set the tone during the first half of the 19th century, especially during the period 1830-1850, their values will be of importance for the emerging modern Swedish society. Another reason is that my primary source material (the magazine "Magasin för konst, nyheter och moder"/"Magazine for art, news and fashion") provides a lot of information about the bourgeoisie and that it has not yet hardly been used in historical research. The magazine was issued from 1822 to 1844 (from 1817 under another title), and I have included all publications in my work.

Several important results have been generated within the project. The first concerns the marketing part. The picture of the early marketing has been dominated by studies on larger European countries, especially Great Britain. The results are unequivocal and show an elaborated and well spread marketing already in the middle of the 18th century.

It is very evident that the Swedish marketing is nowhere close to the British, not even in the beginning of the 19th century. The advertisements in "Dagligt Allehanda" and "Stockholms dagblad" show a much simpler language and illustrations (both pictures and symbols) are almost completely absent. It is not, as for Great Britain, possible to find expressions adhering to vales such as "politeness" and "respectability", although allusions to modernity and exclusiveness do occur. It is, furthermore, not possible to single out the bourgeoisie as the main recipient of the advertisement information.

The second important result concerns the magazine showpiece fashion and, in continuation, material culture. Each issue contains at least one fashion plate in colour, and fashion news and etiquette advices are common. The plates clearly present ideal images of life. It is a life made for social intercourse, and where the dress plays the leading part. And it is a life where ordinary work has no place. This presupposes a highly conscious consumption, demanding time and money as well as knowledge (about what to buy and where). For a bourgeoisie on the move and in search for a self-image, these ideal images must have been most desirable.

The results - these values - are ambiguous.
On the one hand there is the fashion-conscious and trendy woman, moving about in an international context. On the other hand she needs to - at any cost - keep away from the anxiousness to please and a too conspicuous consumption. This goes hand in hand with a bourgeoisie self-image, characterized by moderation and taste rather than abundance and large quantities.

The third result concerns the significance of marriage for the bourgeoisie in general and gender roles in particular. Besides fashion, marriage and prescribed activities for women are the most prominent themes in the magazine. References to the good and the bad marriage, and their foreplays, are to be found in many contexts, in different shapes and expressions. The good women is modest, honourable, pious and industrious and, of course, a wife and a mother; the bad women is depraved, lazy and, worst of all, anxious to please.

The prevalent use of dichotomies is in itself an important finding. Even more interesting is that, again, conflicting values are sometimes emphasized. Fundamental moral norms are called into question, and the need for strong and/or independent women is expressed. Regarding fashion as well as marriage, the values on how a female bourgeoisie is supposed to behave are ambiguous.

New research questions have come up during the research work, as is evident already from the change of direction for the project. Another new question is to study values and material culture for another socio-economic group, and compare the results from both investigations. I have, together with PhD Göran Ulväng, been granted a new research project from Jan Wallanders och Tom Hedelius stiftelse (Handelsbanken) for studying the economy and material culture at Swedish manors during the years 1700-1900. My part will concern estate owners on smaller manors, many of whom in economic respect have more in common with the bourgeoisie than the more wealthy parts of the nobility.

The most important publication hitherto is the article "Goods in line. Marketing and consumer culture in Dagligt Allehanda 1825-1845" (in Swedish "Varor på rad. Marknadsföring och konsumtionskultur i Dagligt Allehanda 1825-1845"). It is published in the anthology "Commerce. Historical trade in the Nordic countries during the 18th and 19th centuries" (in Swedish "Kommers. Historiska handelsformer i Norden under 1700- och 1800-talen"). Some of the results regarding the Swedish marketing are presented in this article. Together with professor Klas Nyberg, I have edited this volume, and I have also published a comment on some of the articles.

Further publications are planned and under work..

The work and results have (outside my own department) been presented at conferences (Nordic conference on trade and commerce 2008; conference on historians and material culture at the Army museum 2011) and a research seminar in Gothenburg (2011). It was, furthermore, the reason for my teaching exchange (2012) with Carl von Ossietzky-university in Oldenburg (Germany), including lecture and seminars. I have also done shorter presentations, such as a poster presentation for the international KOFF panel (2011) and one on the website for Riksbankens jubileumsfond.

As my last point, I want to emphasize the very close connection between my research and my teaching, especially within the 2 year master programme "Early modern studies. Northern Europe 1450-1850" (vid historiska institutionen, Uppsala universitet). I have developed and for some years taught a thematic course (7,5 hp) "Consumption and material culture in early modern Europe". The course is an important part of the master programme but is is also open for other students (at master level). It has been highly appreciated, with very positive response from the students. The reason for this is that the teaching is closely related to on-going research. The subject is relevant historically, but also for references to the present; the focus on material culture provides the students with new kind of (visual) sources and new ways of conducting analyses.

The project has generated topics for research essays on different levels. I did supervise a German masterstudent that is now admitted as a PhD student in history (at Uppsala university).

The project also has an important part in the "masterclasses" for distinguished and eminent research areas, where the faculty af arts (at Uppsala university) have invested large resources.

Comparing with budget, no larger divergences are at hand. The extent of my work has, since spring 2009, been slightly lower than planned, due to my task as director of studies, but it has been correspondingly extended in time. The main part of "other costs" are paid for a laptop (12147 kr) and literature (5073 kr). A part of the granted money, 37353 kr, has not been used. Due to family reasons and the task as director of studies, I have not participated at conferences as planned. If possible, I would like to use the amount for costs for further publications within the project.