Capitalism: A Very Short Introduction

Second Edition

James Fulcher

Very Short Introductions

Provides a detailed answer to the question 'what is capitalism?'
Brings together sociological and historical approaches to the study of capitalism, drawing on material from a wide range of historical and contemporary societies
Looks at the origins and developments of capitalism and the various forms it takes worldwide
Analyses historical cases of crisis within capitalism
Discusses the global financial crisis of 2007-8 and its on-going effects
Highlights the problems of financial capitalism by identifying two crisis mechanisms - overproduction/underconsumption and financial crisis of credit expansion and contraction
Explores the deflationary consequences of quantitative easing (QE), the contraction of credit, and the role of China in the global economy
Includes an updated further reading section

Capitalism: A Very Short Introduction

Second Edition

James Fulcher

Description

What is capitalism? Is capitalism the same everywhere? Is there an alternative?

The word 'capitalism' is one that is heard and used frequently, but what is capitalism really all about, and what does it mean? This Very Short Introduction addresses questions such as 'what is capital?' before discussing the history and development of capitalism through several detailed case studies, ranging from the tulipomania of 17th century Holland, the Great Depression of the 1930s, and in this new edition, the impact of the global financial crisis that started in 2007-8.

James Fulcher looks at the different forms that capitalism takes in Britain, Japan, Sweden, and the United States, and explores whether capitalism has escaped the nation-state by going global. It ends by asking whether there is an alternative to capitalism, discussing socialism, communal and cooperative experiments, and the alternatives proposed by environmentalists.

ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Capitalism: A Very Short Introduction

Second Edition

James Fulcher

Very Short Introductions

Capitalism: A Very Short Introduction

Second Edition

James Fulcher

Very Short Introductions

Author Information

James Fulcher, Teaches Sociology at the University of Leicester

James Fulcher read History at Cambridge, took a Sociology Masters at the London School of Economics, and wrote his PhD at the University of Leicester. His career was spent in the Sociology Department at the University of Leicester and, with John Scott, he produced a number of editions of Sociology, published by Oxford, which has been judged 'the best of the all-encompassing texts'. His main research interest has been in the history of industrial relations in Sweden and his main teaching interest in the development of Japanese society.

Capitalism: A Very Short Introduction

Second Edition

James Fulcher

Very Short Introductions

Reading Guide

Download this VSI Reading Guide as an Adobe PDF (28 KB)

Questions for Thought and Discussion

Why are markets at the heart of capitalism?
How free is wage labour?
Why is leisure central to capitalism?
Did capitalism originate in Britain?
Why did a ‘managed capitalism’ develop in Britain and what went wrong with it?
Was the state ‘rolled back’ when capitalism was remarketized?
Is ‘neo-liberal capitalism’ the result of Conservative government?
Does the spread of ‘neo-liberal capitalism’ mean that everywhere becomes the same?
In what ways has capitalism become global?
Does global capitalism integrate the world?
Why are crises a normal feature of capitalist societies?
How would you explain the crisis of 2007-8?
What is meant by the ‘financialization’ of capital and what have been its consequences for people’s lives?
What is meant by the ‘externalization’ of costs?
Does capitalism have a future?

Other books and articles by James Fulcher

Sociology, with John Scott (Oxford University Press, 2011)
Labour Movements, Employers, and the State: Conflict and Co-operation in Britain and Sweden (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1991)

Further Reading

M. Hudson, The Bubble and Beyond: Fictitious Capital, Debt Deflation and the Global Crisis (Islet, 2012)
G. Ingham,Capitalism (Polity, 1911)
I. Wallerstein et al. Does Capitalism have a Future? (Oxford, 2013)

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Capitalism: A Very Short Introduction

James Fulcher

Capitalism: A Very Short Introduction

James Fulcher

Description

Capitalism: A Very Short Introduction

James Fulcher

Table of Contents

Capitalism: A Very Short Introduction

James Fulcher

Author Information

Capitalism: A Very Short Introduction

James Fulcher

Reading Guide

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