Global problems and the culture of capitalism / Richard H. Robbins.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Robbins, Richard H. (Richard Howard), 1940-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Economic history--1990-.

Economic history.

Social problems.

Capitalism.

Consumption (Economics).

Poverty.

Physical Description:

x, 421 pages : illustrations, 1 map ; 24 cm

Edition:

Second edition.

Place of Publication:

Boston, MA : Allyn & Bacon, 2002.

Summary:

This award-winning book explores one of the most successful cultures and society the world has ever seen-capitalism. From its European roots more than 500 years ago to the present, the book examines the problems of capitalism's expansion, inequality, environmental destruction, and social unrest. Global Problems and the Culture of Capitalism provides the reader with the anthropological, economic, and historical framework to understand the origins of global problems, why globalization and the global expansion of the culture of capitalism has generated protest and resistance, and the steps that are necessary to solve global problems. As one reviewer said, "This is a book that will doubtless create debate and controversy, but its topic should be pondered seriously by all who consider themselves citizens of our world society today." For anyone interested in global issues and international affairs.

Contents:

Part 1 The Consumer, the Laborer, the Capitalist, and the Nation-State in the Society of Perpetual Growth 1

1 Capitalism and the Making of the Consumer 3

Culture and the Construction of the Consumer 10

The Construction of the Consumer 12

Kinderculture in America: The Child as Consumer 21

The Role of Children in Capitalism 21

The Social Construction of Childhood 23

2 The Laborer in the Culture of Capitalism 32

A Primer on the Economic Elements of Capitalism 34

The Baptism of Money 37

The Construction and Anatomy of the Working Class 38

Characteristics of the Working Class 38

The Growth of Overseas Assembly Plants 45

The Creation of Free Labor 47

The Segmentation of the Workforce 49

Control and Discipline 52

Resistance and Rebellion 55

3 The Rise of the Merchant, Industrialist, and Capital Controller 59

The Era of the Global Trader 62

A Trader's Tour of the World in 1400 62

The Economic Rise of Europe and Its Impact on Africa and the Americas 68

The Rise of the Trading Companies 74

The Era of the Industrialist 76

Textiles and the Rise of the Factory System 79

The Age of Imperialism 81

The Era of the Corporation, the Multilateral Institution, and the Capital Controller 86

The Rise of the Corporation 87

Bretton Woods and the World Debt 90

The Power of Capital Controllers 97

4 The Nation-State in the Culture of Capitalism 102

The Origin and History of the State 104

The Evolution of the State 104

The History and Function of the Nation-State 105

Constructing the Nation-State 108

Creating the Other 108

Language, Bureaucracy, and Education 110

Violence and Genocide 114

The Future of the Nation-State 117

Transnationalism and Migration 119

Will Corporations Rule the World? 122

Nongovernmental Organizations 128

Part 2 The Global Impact of the Culture of Capitalism 131

5 The Problem of Population Growth 133

The Malthusians versus the Revisionists 136

The Case of India and China 137

The Issue of Carrying Capacity 141

The Ideology of Malthusian Concerns 142

Demographic Transition Theory 146

A Primer on the Determinants of Population Growth and Decline 147

Some Examples of Demographic Change 150

Population Growth in the Periphery 153

Wealth Flows Theory 155

The Social Implications of Wealth Flows Theory 157

The Question of Gender and Power 158

Problems and Prospects 160

6 Hunger, Poverty, and Economic Development 163

The Evolution of Food Production: From the Neolithic to the Neocaloric 164

From Gathering and Hunting to the Neolithic 165

Capitalism and Agriculture 167

The Neocaloric and the Green Revolution 168

The Politics of Hunger 172

The Anatomy of Famine 174

The Anatomy of Endemic Hunger 176

Solutions to Poverty and Hunger 182

Economic Development 183

Foreign Aid: The Case of Russia 187

Targeting Vulnerable Populations: The Grameen Bank and Microcredit 190

7 Environment and Consumption 194

The Case of Sugar 199

Sugar Origins and Production 199

Uses of Sugar 200

The Development of the Sugar Complex 200

The Expansion of Sugar Consumption 202

The Mass Consumption of Sugar 203

Modern Sugar 204

The Story of Beef 205

The Ascendancy of Beef 207

The Emergence of the American Beef Industry 207

Modern Beef 212

The Internationalization of the Hamburger 214

Environmentally Sustainable Cattle Raising 215

Exporting Pollution 217

8 Disease 221

A Primer on How to Die of an Infectious Disease 224

The Relationships between Culture and Disease 230

Gathering and Hunting to Early Agriculture 230

"Graveyards of Mankind" 231

Diseases of Environmental Change 235

AIDS and the Culture of Capitalism 238

How Did the Disease Spread? 241

Who Gets Infected with AIDS? 244

Who Gets Blamed? 247

9 Indigenous People, Ethnic Groups, and the Nation-State 250

The Fate of Indigenous Peoples 253

Some Characteristics of Indigenous Peoples 254

The Process of Ethnocide 255

The Guarani: The Economics of Ethnocide 262

History and Background 263

Contemporary Development and Guarani Communities 266

Ethnic Violence and the Question of Political Sovereignty 268

Genocide in Rwanda 269

Rights of Self-Determination 274

Part 3 Resistance and Rebellion 279

10 Peasant Protest, Rebellion, and Resistance 281

Malaysia and the Weapons of the Weak 284

Malaysian Peasants and the Green Revolution 284

Fighting Back 287

Obstacles to Resistance 289

Protest and Change 290

Kikuyu and the Mau Mau Rebellion 291

The British in East Africa 291

The White Highlands 293

The Roots of the Rebellion 295

The Rebellion 296

"State of Emergency" 298

The Oath and the Detention Camps 301

Independence 302

The Rebellion in Chiapas 303

Poverty and Inequality in Chiapas 305

The Rebellion and the Global Economy 307

The Revolt and the Reaction of the Mexican Government 308

The Future of Peasants 309

11 Antisystemic Protest 311

Protest as Antisystemic: The Two World Revolutions 312

The Revolution of 1848 313

The Revolution of 1968 315

The Protests of Labor: Coal Miners in Nineteenth-Century Pennsylvania 317

The Coal Industry and the Worker's Life 318

Worker Resistance and Protest 321

Destroying Worker Resistance 323

Global Feminist Resistance 324

Gender Relations in the Culture of Capitalism 326

Strategies of Protest 329

Ecological Resistance Movements 332

Earthfirst! 332

Chipko and the Tragedy of the Commons 333

12 Religion and Antisystemic Protest 337

Indigenous Religious Movements as Protest 339

The Ghost Dance 340

The Cargo Cults 341

Zionism in South Africa 342

The Global Challenge of Antisystemic Religious Protest 346

Islamic Fundamentalism 348

Protestant Fundamentalism in North America 350

The Contest between Liberation Theology and Protestant Fundamentalism in Latin America 358

The Growth and Development of Liberation Theology 358

Growing Opposition to Liberation Theology 360

The Growth of the Evangelical Movement in Latin America: The Case of Guatemala 360

13 Constructing the Citizen-Activist 364

What Are the Real Dangers? 364

The GNP and the Construction of the Doctrine of Perpetual Growth 365

The Depletion of Natural Capital 368

The Depletion of Political Capital 372

The Depletion of Social Capital 375

Capital and Public Policy 377

Constructing the Citizen-Activist 378

Indices and Goals for Well-Being 379

The Means and Prospects for Change: Attaining Zero Economic Growth 382

Rebuilding and Maintaining Natural Capital 382

Restoring Political Capital 383

Rebuilding Social Capital 384.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 389-404) and indexes.

ISBN:

0205336345

OCLC:

46872403