Det europæiske fritidsmenneske: Forbruger- og forhandlingskrydsfelter i det 20. århundredes fritidsliv

Over the last decade there has been a distinctive shift in the history of technology to consumption. As a result, the analytical perspective changed from producers to consumers, which brought daily life, the appropriation of technology, and the active role of consumers in the design and development of technology to the fore. With the growing attention to the active role of consumers and consumption, (technologies of) leisure and tourism also became primary fields of research. In this research the concept mediation junction seems to be crucial as it shows the active role of mediators who speak and act on behalf of consumers and producers, and as it focuses on specific arenas and forums where mediators from the state, consumption, production, trade and finance meet to negotiate the design, the use and the users of new technologies. The outcome of these mediation processes are represented in advertisements, magazines and exhibitions. They show images of the good life, i.e. the consumption of goods and services, closely connected to leisure activities and family life. By introducing the concepts mediation, mediation junction and tourism/leisure regimes, this article introduces, compares and links the contributions to this special issue that all deal with the design and development of modern life in Twentieth Century Europe.