SOSA 2002Y Lecture 2: SOSA2002 JAN.22.docx
28 Jan 2015
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The prevailing mode of production or economic system in any society will invariably shape dominant culture, on widely held values and beliefs. It is not the consciousness of men that determines their being, but on the contrary, their social being that determines their consciousness (marx, 1859, cited in applerouth & desfour edles, In capitalist societies, dominant culture reinforces values and beliefs that encourage the producing and sale of commodities. The accumulation of profit is encouraged for the owing class. The accumulation of wages is encouraged for the working class. The accumulation of goods is encouraged for consumers. The 20th century has witnessed a marked cultural transformation, from a focus on the accumulation of wages to the accumulation of goods. Put in other terms, we have moved from a producer to a consumer based culture. Rather than having a purpose in its own right, work becomes something that allows us to consume (naiman, 2012, p. 126).
