Global Problems and the Culture of Capitalism

Imagine an underdeveloped country rejuvenated and refurbished by capitalist entrepreneurs. They come in, they build, they buy, they leave. The economy booms. The population explodes, but there are not enough resources for everyone. The population continues to grow. Poverty, famine, and disease creep in. The cycle continues, created, destroyed, and recreated by the ebbs and flows of capitalism. It is both a boon and a pariah on the interdependent global system, its presence simultaneously marking the growth and decline of culture. The purpose of this book is to outline the consequences and costs of the development of the culture of capitalism for people all over the world. The book begins with a historical overview of capitalism, moves into social problems and protests over capitalist expansion, and concludes with a discussion of possible scenarios for the future. Robbins takes a problems-based approach, focusing on social problems such as hunger, poverty, environmental devastation, disease, gender issues, social conflict, and what citizens must know about their own culture to understand the culture of others and the scope of social problems. Historians, anthropologists, economists, sociologists, and political scientists.