Jessie answers “Can someone help me understand why cotton...”

SusanJ asked this question about Empire of Cotton: A Global History:

Can someone help me understand why cotton was such a big deal? I understand about supply/demand with respect to price - new technology and globalization and whatnot brought the price down, and allowed for a lot of production, but what makes the "demand" for cotton so great? Is it the fashion aspect? Certainly most folks I know have way more clothes than they'll ever wear, and keep buying more... But still...

Jessie That's a really interesting question Susan. I just finished the book, and I'm currently doing my own dissertation research on cotton production in Wes…moreThat's a really interesting question Susan. I just finished the book, and I'm currently doing my own dissertation research on cotton production in West Africa (as a sociologist). I don't have a full answer... but I would hazard a guess that it is related to social status. Beckert mentions it a few times. Clothing has long been used as a means of distinguishing ourselves in many cultures, and I think in the 1700s and 1800s, people had very few items of clothing and those items were often worn-looking and dirty. People that I talk to here in West Africa say that their grandparents had very few items of clothing, and that being able to purchase more clothes and fabrics (because they were inexpensive) gave them not only warmth/protection from the elements, but a way to look nice (and possibly "nicer" than their neighbors...). (less)

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Empire of Cotton

by Sven Beckert

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