A Culture of Capitalism is a term used to refer to the lifestyle of the people living within a capitalist nation, or the international influence of such a nation on others (ie: articles on cultural imperialism and americanization)
The concept is that the people within the society are driven by the rules set by their culture, and belive that these values, attitudes and aspirations are 'normal' for all people in the world. The culture of capitalism promotes: The accumulation of wealth; The business' desire for profit is more important than human rights or environmental issues; The concept that making money (employment) and spending money (consumer) is a the way things are; The will to defend its values it beliefs as right; the will to spread its influence onto those who dont agree or dont confrom, "a culture that will make many intellectual or even moral concessions in order to maintain that standard" (cited Leach 1993:266).
The other part of this culture is the creation of new types of person, the consumer was unheard of until the 19th century, being a type of person almost totally defined in monetary terms. It was a historical first when an emerging society was founded on the categories of people: capitalist, laborer and consumer, which are inter-dependant on each other.
External links
Books
Robbins, Richard. Global Problems and the Culture of Capitalism. Allyn and Bacon: Boston, MA, 2002
