Workers Go Shopping in Argentina: The Rise of Popular Consumer Culture by Natalia Milanesio (review)

The economic conditions and social changes during the 1946-1952 presidency of Juan Domingo Perón of Argentina are incomparable to anything that has happened since. Perón came to power with the support of the working class; once elected, he defied United States-style laissez-faire capitalism and Soviet-style communism, favoring an economic model in which the government mediated the interests of labor and capital. Critics compared Perón's rise to power, the strong state he oversaw, and the cult of personality he crafted, to European fascism, but he delivered tangible economic benefits to his working-class constituents. Natalia Milanesio's Workers Go Shopping in Argentina analyzes material culture in Perón's Argentina and the cultural impacts of workers receiving higher wages and more leisure time. She views her book as a contribution to the field of the history of consumption; major themes addressed include class relations in Perón's Argentina, the impact of economics on gender norms, the role of advertising in the new consumer culture, and how experiences of working-class individuals within these broader trends shaped personal memory and identity; oral history is the primary tool for examining this last point.

Workers Go Shopping in Argentina begins with an overview of the history of industrialization in Argentina and the policies under Perón leading to increased worker buying power. These included government-mandated or negotiated wage increases, support of Argentine industry, improved social services, and the aguinaldo, a yearly bonus paid each December. Government actions were the catalyst for the changes to consumer culture, and Milanesio describes the government's rhetoric and its relationship with private industry. We are introduced to SIAM, an Argentine company whose refrigerators became a symbol of working-class prosperity. She also describes the Peronist government's more active role in consumer protection. Diluted food and beverages, deliberately mislabeled products, poisonous additives, and inconsistent measurements had long plagued the lower-class consumer. By increasing state oversight and enforcement, Perón's government strove to improve value for consumers.

Milanesio explores changes in advertising during the Perón years and the impact on Argentine society. As Peronist policies increased the buying power of the working class, advertisers had to learn to speak to this new audience. This often meant mimicking Peronist agendas by praising Argentine industrial products or including positive portrayals of working-class men. Advertisers also supported the government's consumer protection efforts, playing the role of "educators" by directing workers to what were deemed honest products. Milanesio looks at the treatment of gender in the period's advertising, including the "pretty, sexy woman," the cartoon Divito Girls, and gendered humor. Interestingly, these ads ran even as women became principal consumers in most households and working-class women's earning power increased.

The analysis of identity, through the lenses of changing class and gender roles, is where the themes discussed in the book really come together to illustrate how broader trends impacted individuals. It also is where the use of oral history interviews becomes more prominent. Increases to wages gave the working class access to spaces and signifiers that were previously only available to the middle and upper classes. These traditionally more prosperous classes felt anxiety and resentment as workers began to shop in districts and stores formerly beyond their means. Government-mandated leisure time allowed workers to visit restaurants and vacation spaces; workers were also able to afford appliances and more expensive clothing. In the case of the latter, the upper classes distanced themselves from such things, describing working-class tastes as ostentatious. Milanesio draws accounts both from the period's commentary and oral history. For example, she uses both when discussing the common image of the maid who dresses better than her employer. A similar mix of sources is used when analyzing the relationship between changing gender roles and consumer culture, increased spending power of working-class women...