Within the nexus of recent work on Cuban consumption (for more, see the “consumption & material culture” drop down menu in the sidebar), it is a great pleasure to add this new volume by Anna Cristina Pertierra.  Cuba : The Struggle for Consumption is now available from Caribbean Studies Press (2011).  From the publisher’s description:

For the past 20 years in Cuba, urban life has been characterized by a shortage of material resources, a decline in living standards, and an unpredictable and changing economy. By researching everyday activities in the island’s second-largest city, Santiago de Cuba, this book presents a dynamic portrait of contemporary domestic life and consumer culture in Santiago de Cuba, which Cubans experience as “a struggle.”

This accessible and engaging account, grounded in anthropological analysis, examines the interconnections of consumption, economy, socialism, and gender relations through the stories and experiences of a range of individuals.