The Rise Of Market Culture

Professor Reddy traces the transition from pre-capitalist to capitalist culture in the French textile industry from 1750 to 1900. Using anthropology and social history, he shows how and why the conception of the social order based on the idea of the market began to emerge, and examines the attendant political and social conflict.

Every company wants their business to have a strong, loyal following, but achieving this feat can be a challenge. Examining the growth of fandom popularity in modern culture can provide insights into consumer trends and patterns. Exploring the Rise of Fandom in Contemporary Consumer Culture is an innovative scholarly resource that offers an in-depth discussion on the soaring popularity of fan communities and how these followers serve a larger purpose in a consumer-driven society. Highlighting applicable topics that include brand loyalty, fan perceptions, social media, and virtual realities, this publication is ideal for business managers, academicians, students, professionals, and researchers that are interested in learning more about how fan behavior can impact the economic environment.

Why Enlightenment culture sparked the Industrial Revolution During the late eighteenth century, innovations in Europe triggered the Industrial Revolution and the sustained economic progress that spread across the globe. While much has been made of the details of the Industrial Revolution, what remains a mystery is why it took place at all. Why did this revolution begin in the West and not elsewhere, and why did it continue, leading to today's unprecedented prosperity? In this groundbreaking book, celebrated economic historian Joel Mokyr argues that a culture of growth specific to early modern Europe and the European Enlightenment laid the foundations for the scientific advances and pioneering inventions that would instigate explosive technological and economic development. Bringing together economics, the history of science and technology, and models of cultural evolution, Mokyr demonstrates that culture--the beliefs, values, and preferences in society that are capable of changing behavior--was a deciding factor in societal transformations. Mokyr looks at the period 1500-1700 to show that a politically fragmented Europe fostered a competitive "market for ideas" and a willingness to investigate the secrets of nature. At the same time, a transnational community of brilliant thinkers known as the "Republic of Letters" freely circulated and distributed ideas and writings. This political fragmentation and the supportive intellectual environment explain how the Industrial Revolution happened in Europe but not China, despite similar levels of technology and intellectual activity. In Europe, heterodox and creative thinkers could find sanctuary in other countries and spread their thinking across borders. In contrast, China's version of the Enlightenment remained controlled by the ruling elite. Combining ideas from economics and cultural evolution, A Culture of Growth provides startling reasons for why the foundations of our modern economy were laid in the mere two centuries between Columbus and Newton.

Scholars have only recently begun to appreciate the extent to which the norms and practices that foster market societies have been shifting. Not only has 'the market' been perceived and represented differently in different epochs; it has also been experienced differently, brought into being within dissimilar political and social settings, and has given rise to new and various forms of intellectual and imaginative activity. The thirteen essays collected in this volume belong to a new historical endeavour deriving from the recognition that the experiences and feelings engendered by the historical development of market societies have been, and still remain, open to a broad range of interpretations. They share, too, the characteristic accents of a new approach to cultural history, in which careful examination of actions, texts, and artifacts is accompanied by an open-mindedness about what their examination reveals.

"In this exemplary piece of historical sociology, Biernacki demonstrates tremendous theoretical and methodological sophistication as well as the talents of a gifted social historian. He skillfully weaves together theory and history to creatively address central debates in the social sciences."--Ronald Aminzade, author of "Ballots and Barricades: Class Formation and Republican Politics in France, 1830-1871" "A work of major significance in comparative-historical sociology, the sociology of culture, labor history, sociological theory, and the history of economic thought. It is in a class by itself."--Sonya O. Rose, author of "Limited Livelihoods: Gender and Class in Nineteenth-Century England" "A major intellectual event in cultural sociology and labor history. Biernacki's theoretical and methodological sophistication, his lucid style, and his wonderfully detailed empirical research make this book very special."--William Sewell, Jr., author of "Work and Revolution in France"

Reveals the many ways in which religious groups actually embraced commercial culture to establish an urban presence. [back cover].

Uniquely, critically interrogates the concept of 'civilization' by asking whether it is still valid in the globalized world economy of the twenty-first century. Includes case studies on the Arab world, Islam, China and Japan.

The globalization of marketing has brought about an interesting paradox: as the discipline becomes more global, the need to understand cultural differences becomes all the more crucial. This is the challenge in an increasingly international marketplace and a problem that the world's most powerful businesses must solve. From this challenge has grown the exciting discipline of ethnic marketing, which seeks to understand the considerable opportunities and challenges presented by cultural and ethnic diversity in the marketplace. To date, scholarship in the area has been lively but disparate. This volume brings together cutting-edge research on ethnic marketing from thought leaders across the world. Each chapter covers a key theme, reflecting the increasing diversity of the latest research, including models of culture change, parenting and socialization, responses to web and advertising, role of space and social innovation in ethnic marketing, ethnic consumer decision making, religiosity, differing attitudes to materialism, acculturation, targeting and ethical and public policy issues. The result is a solid framework and a comprehensive reference point for consumer researchers, students, and practitioners.