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This book explores the under-researched sources of the consumerist culture and the environmental damage it has brought about. The book is an outcome of the symposium on “The Ethics of Consumption” organised and hosted by the Las Casas Institute at the Blackfriars Hall, University of Oxford as part of its Economics as a Moral Science Programme. It takes on two contemporary problems: the human weakness and capacity for wrong-doing, and the failure of modern economic theory to account for the moral character of human behaviour and its implicit encouragement of gluttonous life-styles. In a time when grand political schemes are proposed to revive sustainability of global economy, the authors of the papers collected in this book highlight the need for moral renewal without which the most revolutionary structural reforms are bound to fail at producing the desired outcome. Topics of the book include the meaning and sources of avarice, the attempt to define what is enough, exploration of philosophical and theological perspectives which can serve as building blocks for the ethics of consumption. This makes the book of great interest to a broad readership of economists, social scientists and philosophers.

The book explores the concept of ‘intimate capitalism'within the context of the rising cultural and creative industries. The assimilation of culture with capitalism has produced a mass culture that socialises people with the culture of capitalism, effectively domesticating and controlling the masses by establishing an intimate relationship between labor and working conditions. Intimate capitalism is a new form of capitalism where workers invest their labor and work overtime due to an affective connection to the cultural product they are working on or an intimacy with the cultural working conditions. It critically examines the narratives surrounding the creative economy, as well as digital innovations within cultural industries, to highlight how they are reinforcing and perpetuating exploitative working conditions. The erosion of workers'rights under intimate capitalism is examined to show how cultural industries seek to dominate the lives of those working within them, leading to an increased commodification of culture and institutionalisation of creative assets in the name of economic growth and development. This book offers a critical framework for understanding intimate capitalism and outlines its impact on workers, particularly those within developing economies. It will be relevant to students and researchers interested in cultural economics, the political economy, and labour economics.

In diesem Buch wird ein interdisziplinärer Ansatz für die Welt des Konsums gewählt, der verschiedene Themen abdeckt und soziologische, wirtschaftliche und marketingbezogene Aspekte einbezieht. Der Begriff'Konsum'ist vage, und selbst in den akademischen Disziplinen wird der Begriff auf unterschiedliche Weise verwendet. Die Konsumforschung fragt, wie Einkommen und Ausgaben miteinander zusammenhängen. Ganz allgemein untersucht die Konsumforschung, wie Menschen, soziale Schichten oder Gesellschaften ihre Konsumgewohnheiten realisieren. Häufig wird die Frage gestellt, wie konsistent Präferenzstrukturen aufgrund wechselnder empirischer Hintergründe von Zeit, Raum und damit verbundener Kultur sind. Welche Kontextvariablen (historischer Zeitpunkt, geographischer Rahmen, kultureller Hintergrund) spezifizieren die Praxis des Konsums und in welcher Weise haben Merkmale wie Alter, Geschlecht, Klasse, Beruf und Lebensstil eigene Auswirkungen auf die Art und Weise, wie Konsum realisiert wird?Das Buch ist für Forscher aus den Bereichen Ökonomie, Soziologie, Marketing, Ästhetik und Design, Anthropologie und Kommunikationswissenschaft von Interesse.

This book analyses the emergence and growth of the creative sector in Naples between the early modern and modern eras, focusing particularly on the development of music markets in the city. From the seventeenth century, Naples became one of the most culturally enriched regions in the Italian peninsula, with internationally known music schools, theatres and opera venues attracting visitors from across Europe in a burgeoning tourist market. This book sheds light on the driving economic factors and political contexts behind this key case study for the early growth of the opera and music sector in Europe. Starting with a discussion of the value of economic history to understanding cultural industries, the chapters approach this analysis through multiple lenses: the formation of human capital as the result of Naples'institutional urban welfare system; the role of cultural consumption as it evolved from a primarily religious activity to growing popular demand; and the rolethat central city authorities played in encouraging cultural activity through private investment and public policy. The book also draws on fascinating archival research to examine the contribution of Naples'music conservatories in the local creative economy. This book is a valuable resource to a broad range of readers, including those working in economic history, tourism history, the history of music and theatre, Italian social history and more.

Dieses Buch untersucht die Trennung von'populärer'und'ernsthafter'Kunst über einen Zeitraum von fast zwei Jahrhunderten, indem es eine ökonomische Perspektive mit soziologischen und historischen Einsichten kombiniert. Während die Grenzen zwischen etablierter Kunst und populärer Kunst immer durchlässiger werden, stellt Abbing Fragen wie: Wer profitierte von der Trennung? Warum ist Exklusivität in den etablierten Künsten so wichtig? Führte Exklusivität zu hohen Kosten, hohen Subventionen und hohen Preisen? Wurden und werden benachteiligte Gruppen vom Kunstkonsum und der Kunstproduktion ausgeschlossen? Wie wurde populäre Musik in der zweiten Hälfte des 20. Jahrhunderts so erfolgreich? Warum bleibt der Kunstberuf trotz geringer Einkommen außergewöhnlich attraktiv für Jugendliche? Das Buch diskutiert auch die Entwicklung der Kunst im 21. Jahrhundert, indem es beispielsweise untersucht, wie die Plattformökonomie die Künste beeinflusst, ob sich die etablierten Künste der Unterhaltungsindustrie anschließen, und das aktuelle Maß an Vielfalt in der Kunst betrachtet. Aus der doppelten Perspektive des Autors als Künstler und Sozialwissenschaftler geschrieben, wird das Buch für Kulturökonomen und Akademiker sowie Künstler und allgemein kunstinteressierte Leser von Interesse sein.

This book proposes new design and development models for local cultural and creative products, intended to improve the quality of these products and to preserve or enhance their local economic benefits. Building a knowledge base of design symbols and information gleaned from local history can be used to simplify the process of creative product design and increase the efficiency of product development. This book proposes a method for grasping the essential elements of symbols and culture so as to accelerate product development and capture the essence of culture in product design. In addition, it demonstrates that exhibitions applying scenario-oriented design can not only strengthen the representation of local culture, history and stories, but also support product consumption. As a result, the book offers a valuable asset for boosting the efficiency of creative product design and promoting the consumption of creative cultural products.

In diesem Buch werden die gesellschaftlichen Funktionen von Sportvereinen anhand eines breiten Spektrums an empirischen Daten einer vergleichenden Studie näher beleuchtet. Es gibt nur wenige aktuelle Erkenntnisse über die Funktionen von Sportvereinen und ihr Potenzial, die öffentliche Gesundheit, den sozialen Zusammenhalt und die demokratische Teilhabe durch freiwilliges Engagement zu fördern und damit zum Gemeinwohl in den europäischen Gesellschaften beizutragen. Die meisten der vorhandenen Studien sind länderspezifisch und erlauben daher keine Vergleiche aus einer länderübergreifenden Perspektive. Vor diesem Hintergrund hat das Projekt'Social Inclusion and Volunteering in Sports Clubs in Europe'(SIVSCE) vergleichbare Daten und Erkenntnisse in zehn europäischen Ländern gesammelt, analysiert und diskutiert und dieses Wissen an Politiker, Sportfachleute und Freiwillige im Sport in Europa weitergegeben.Das SIVSCE-Projekt enthält vergleichende Daten von Vereinen sowie von Mitgliedern in ausgewählten Sportvereinen. In jedem Länderkapitel werden die vergleichenden Daten aus dem SIVSCE-Projekt in kohärenter Weise zusammengestellt. Insbesondere die Daten der Mitgliederbefragung geben detailliert Auskunft über die Erfüllung der verschiedenen Funktionen von Sportvereinen (z.B. Erweiterung der demokratischen Teilhabe, soziale Integration). Dieses Buch liefert detaillierte Daten zu politischen Fragen, zur Struktur und zum Management von Vereinen sowie zu individuellen Mitgliederbefragungen und ist damit sowohl für Studierende - insbesondere in Sportmanagement-Studiengängen - als auch für Forscher und Praktiker in den Sozial- und Wirtschaftswissenschaften von Nutzen.

This volume covers Kenya's history, society, culture, economics, politics, and environment from precolonial times through the first years of independence. The book comprises twenty-one chapters divided into two parts. Part I focuses on the long precolonial moment, detailing the nature of precolonial Kenyan societies and their economics, politics, gender dynamics, and social organization. Part II examines Kenyan societies'encounters with British colonialism, critically outlining the impact and implications of these encounters. The volume concludes with an examination of political consolidation after the country's attainment of political independence and the subsequent foundations for political authoritarianism.

This book is a collection of contributions related to India–China relationship beyond the issue of borders. It focuses on those elements that play important role in defining, continuing, and strengthening the interaction between the two countries. In doing so, it explores roles of language and linguistics, history and culture, politics and economy, and philosophy and sociology that mediated ancient and modern interfaces. The book observes the role of silk route in the economic, political, and scholarly exchanges between ancient civilizations and in the movement of Buddhism to China and other Asian nations. The contributors highlight how the two countries have co-existed in various eras and tackled issues of conflict and cooperation during lows and highs in the past and present. It pays special attention to the role of language and linguistic competence as an important component of socio-cultural comprehension of a society and introduces major innovations and challenges inteaching and learning the Chinese language. The wide-ranging contributions make the book an attractive resource for academics, think-tanks, diplomats, and researchers working on Asian/India–China studies across the globe.

This book explores the conceptual and practical implications of applying a relational view to cultural complexity. The authors take the findings of an international and interdisciplinary Delphi study on transcultural competence as a starting point and offer further analysis and interpretation from their specific perspectives. Written by experts from a variety of disciplines, the book discusses the potential contributions of a relational approach to understanding and strengthening individuals and organizations in their contexts. Through various conceptual chapters, case studies and field reports, it explores the role and nature of commonalities for cooperation in contexts of cultural complexity and discusses the relationship between differences and commonalities, as well as the implications for relational leadership and management. The book is divided into four parts, the first of which introduces readers to the relational view. In turn, the second part elaborates on transcultural competence, while the third presents various case studies and field reports on experience-based learning and relationality in culturally complex settings. Finally, the fourth part sheds new light on relational leadership and the role of commonalities in organizational practice. As such, this book will appeal to scholars and practitioners in the areas of cultural and relational economics, intercultural communication, business strategy and leadership, and organizational studies.

This book explores the role of the cultural and creative industries (CCIs) as drivers of local economic development. More specifically, it builds on two novel perspectives in order to interpret the phenomenon. First, despite the general recognition that CCIs are innovative economic actors, their creative output is heterogeneous, as CCIs consist of extremely diverse industries, and the concept of innovation differs from sector to sector. Second, CCIs'creativity is locally rooted, as the context provides innovative inputs for the development of creative ideas, binding creativity with well-established theories of the regional innovation literature. The book explores these new perspectives through a novel database on CCIs'innovation at a fine industrial and regional scale.Building on these two ideas, the book is subdivided into three parts. In the first, a novel definition of creativity in CCIs is developed in which its heterogeneity and place-based nature are at the core. In turn, the second part addresses the phenomenon of localization choices in CCIs, highlighting their heterogeneous innovativeness and the filière which they belong to as key dimensions for the analysis. In the third part, the impact of CCIs on economic growth is explored. This book offers new evidence on the conditions under which CCIs cluster in space and stimulate development. It appeals to scholars in regional science, cultural economics and related fields, as well as policymakers and practitioners working in the cultural and creative industries.

This book explores the role of national theatres, national cultural centres, cultural policy, festivals, and the film industry as creative and cultural performances hubs for exercising soft power and cultural diplomacy. It shows how can existing cultural and non-cultural infrastructures, sometimes referred to as the Orange Economy, open opportunities for diplomacy and soft power; ways by which cultural performance and creative practice can be re-centered in post-colonial Africa and in post-global pandemic era; and existing structures that cultural performers, diplomats, administrators, cultural entrepreneurs, and managers can leverage to re-enact cultural performance and creative practice on the continent. This volume is positioned within postcolonial discourse to amplify narratives, experiences and realities that are anti-oppressive especially within critical discourse.

This book is an exploration that shows us how sentiment and duty form the core of Japanese culture. It looks at how the combination of common sense, culture, and social norms influence people's ways of thinking and behavior. Although the focus is Japan in looking at these interrelationships, the author draws on his experience and knowledge of other countries from his days before graduate school, when he traveled the world as a backpacker. Now, from the world of academia, he uses his knowledge of economic analysis to consider the similarities and differences in human behavior among countries and cultures. The wide-ranging scope of the book takes in marital life, education, sports, business, and culture in modern Japanese society. Why, for instance, does linguistic heterogeneity generally have negative effects on FIFA rankings of national soccer teams, and what does this have to do with the difficulty of technology transfer among businesses in multilingual countries? Whywas the demand for the film Bohemian Rhapsody, about the British rock group Queen, so high in Japan? How do Kazuo Ishiguro's novels resemble scenarios related to Japan's long-term public finance prospects? How does the depiction of contemporary life compared with “the old days” in the films of Yasujiro Ozu provide a cautionary tale for aging societies today? How are older people with grandchildren more likely to accept tax increases to support future generations? And how is the Japanese government actively drawing on behavioral economics to appeal to public sentiment to contain the spread of COVID-19. These and a multitude of other questions are tackled by the backpacker who entered academia to become an economist and who now goes on a journey to find the answers. Readers can take the trip with him under his expert guidance, as he artfully combines sentiment, duty, and economic analysis.

Based on a three-year joint research project, this book collects studies on the cultural basis of economic growth in India. Unlike the foregoing investigations on India's economic growth from the economic perspectives, this book presents interdisciplinary discussions on India's economic growth. The participants in this project consist of a cultural anthropologist who is an expert in the social and historical study on India as well as a group of researchers specializing in various fields of economics such as growth theory, public finance, income distribution, family economics, and economics of education. Our joint research yields new insights on India's economic growth and social change. In addition, this book presents new findings of happiness in India obtained by our large-scale survey.

The crucial element of this book constitutes the synthesis of cultural dimensions from existing cultural taxonomies, extended by the operationalization of the eight identified Universal Dimensions of Culture (UDCs) into a questionnaire. First, an extensive Systematic Literature Review (SLR) is pursued to identify the current state of research, demonstrating the research gap on a unified approach for classifying national cultures into cultural dimensions. Eight assumptions displaying the eight UDCs are derived from the results of the SLR. Subsequently, an evaluation and selection framework for identifying the research base of comparable existing cultural taxonomies is developed. A research base of 11 cultural taxonomies and 50 cultural dimensions is retrieved. These serves as the basis for developing the eight UDCs, following a synthesis process and protocol. The eight UDCs are operationalized into a questionnaire, which is extensively pre-tested by experts and in the field. An example country study for Germany, Canada, and Brazil is conducted, and the corresponding country profiles for the eight UDCs are displayed.

This book shows how telecom, broadcast, and Internet researchers as well as experts from Japan's leading mobile operators interpret, analyze, and evaluate the emerging phenomenon of the Japanese broadband ecosystem. The broadband ecosystem, as it rapidly changes against the backdrop of swift technological progress, is forcing major changes in the existing socioeconomic framework and generating many policy issues that require discussion.The book aims to provide a theoretical and practical framework for policymakers to address these issues from a broader perspective than has been available in the past. The topics addressed in this book cover sharing of 5G infrastructure, online platform regulation, diffusion of autonomous driving, content industry, trends and use cases of 5G, capacity development for AI, ride-hailing service, smartphone games, the right to be forgotten, and the economic value of personal information.Although this book cannot provide definitive answers toall these recently emerging and rapidly changing issues, it does provide important guidance for evidence-based discussion involving policymakers and researchers working on these issues. It is also recommended for graduate students who want to enter this challenging field of policy discussion.