Global Problems and the Culture of Capitalism

by Richard H. Robbins, Mark Cohen

This award-winning text explores one of the most successful cultures and society the world has ever seen–capitalism. From capitalism's European roots more than 500 years ago to the present, this text examines the problems caused by its 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 necessary to solve global problems. Up-to-date information throughout the text helps students maintain a current view of the rapidity of global change. As one reviewer says, “ In today's world of global cultures the key to solving the problems of the future depends on understanding the cultures of today. Robbins' book spells this out in clear and easy-to-read prose. It is the one book that every college student should be required to read.”

Genres: Anthropology, Nonfiction, Economics, Politics, History, Textbooks, Geography

448 pages, Paperback

First published August 14, 1998

Reviews

[Sam Quigley]

I can imagine loving this as an 18-year-old who'd never before given any serious thought to the way the world works; which is to say, it reads as if it was written by a 21-year-old who's recently learnt a bit about how the world works. As a dyed-in-the-wool neo-Marxist, of course I don't mind reading affirmations of my own worldview, but that this book is a prescribed university-level anthropology text is astonishing.

[myapao]

richard robbins and rachel dowty you are brilliant

[Samuel]

a must read for anyone who wants to know how the world became what it is today...

[Sennsec]

A.

[comrade mum]

first DNF of 2024 - this just couldn’t hold my attention

[trillest]

Read it in college. Changed my life.

[Faisal Jamal]

يناقش بعض القضايا التي تؤثر عليها الرأسمالية المتوحشة حول العالم

[Marie]

I think the first half of this books was way better than the second half. The author trys to tackle quite a bit of material in this 400 page book, and some parts were definitely better written and thought out than others. AMong its strengths were the chapters on the history of corporation and the development of modern day capitialism, the discussion of perceived obsolence and the history of advertising, and the integration of the culture of capitialism and issues with health and disease, labor, and environmental degradation. The chapters that need further connections were those about rebillion, global antisystemic revolt, and tieing togther religious fundamentalism. I think the author makes some connections that were not clear, and needed a little bit more research, and from my own studies of 1968, some of the connections were just off. Besides this does an excellent job in the conclusion breaking down the use of GDP and the different forms of capital, and how they are all integrated and can postively and negatively integrated- the author's final message- a call for systems thinking to work through the problems of the culture of capitialism and global problems, was definitely the best and most hopeflu message. So overall, a good read, just maybe the author tried to take on too much...

On a side note..for some reason I was convinced the author was a woman the entire time I read it..I had to keep reminding myself it was a man..I don't know where this unnatural bias came from.

[Rachel Dowty]

Good introduction to the problems of consumer culture on a worldwide scale. Best to stay up with latest edition available.

[Ariel]

This is my favorite textbook because Robbins doesn't pretend to be neutral and rips capitalism a new one.

[Ammar]

essential guide to how capitalism works and impacts society

[Simon]

Left-wing criticism. Interesting, but also not.

[Erin]

Read for Introduction to Cultural Anthropology class in college.

[Aiyana]

Very good for a Global Studies 101 survey class.

[Sadie]

Read for class and was honestly some of the best readings I did in college.... great topics and well-written for a textbook (i.e. not the dullest thing ever written). I did all the readings honestly

[Claire S]

from 'The Yes Men'..