Synopses & Reviews
Human life cannot be reduced to market transactions and human beings cannot only be treated as economic actors. When the power of the market increases, human beings will always try to protect themselves. Given the differences that exist in social and cultural traditions, these protective responses are likely to differ from one society to the other. This is why, even in a global market, diversity is always likely to persist. This book investigates the question of economic globalization - whether it is likely to lead to full convergence between political models and ways of life, or whether, even in a completely globalized world economy, there is likely to be scope for alternative solutions. But in a fully globalized world, how will we survive capitalism?
Review
Surviving Capitalism' presents a highly literate cost–benefit analysis of the history of capitalism…fresh, fascinating, relevant, and, yes, humane.' —Jeff Madrick, editor, 'Challenge Magazine'
Review
'Clearly and gracefully written, it presents an interesting and fertile thesis about the nature of capitalism and how different societies have learnt to cope with it.' —John Gray, author of 'Straw Dogs' (Granta, 2002)
Synopsis
Human life cannot be reduced to market transactions and human beings cannot only be treated as economic actors. When the power of the market increases, human beings will always try to protect themselves. Given the differences that exist in social and cultural traditions, these protective responses are likely to differ from one society to the other. This is why, even in a global market, diversity is always likely to persist.
This book investigates the question of economic globalization - whether it is likely to lead to full convergence between political models and ways of life, or whether, even in a completely globalized world economy, there is likely to be scope for alternative solutions.
Synopsis
A fresh, funny and imaginative discourse on the nature of capitalism and how society has learned to cope with it.
Synopsis
This book investigates the question of economic globalization - whether it is likely to lead to full convergence between political models and ways of life, or whether, even in a completely globalized world economy, there is likely to be scope for alternative solutions. In a fully globalized world, how will we survive capitalism?
About the Author
Dr Erik Ringmar is a Professor at the National Chiao Tung Unviersity, Hsinchu, Taiwan. He is the author of Interest, Identity & Action (CUP, 1996), as well as many academic articles in the fields of history, international politics and sociology. He received a doctorate in political science from Yale University in 1993 and another one from Uppsala University in 1998. He lives in a multiethnic area of north London surrounded by gorgeous females (one wife, four daughters), and he is an avid but incompetent DIY enthusiast, a Bob Dylan fan, and likes to eat curries.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements; Theoretical Preliminaries; 1. The Inevitability and Inhumanity of Capitalism; 2. How Society Protects Itself; In the Bosom of the Family: 3. The European Idea of the Home; 4. The Chinese Family; Among Brothers, Friends and Colleagues: 5. European Sectsm Guilds and Trade Unions; 6. Japanese Business Corporations; 7. Personal Thais; and How They Survived the Boom; The State: 8. Versions of the European State; 9. The State in China and Japan; Conclusions: 10. How We Survived Capitalism; 11. The Coming Crisis; Notes; Bibliography and Websites; Index