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- Title
Epätoivon perinteestä onnellisuuden tavoitteluun: Taloudellinen ajattelu, sosiaalinen oikeudenmukaisuus ja elämäntavan muutos J.K. Galbraithin runsauden yhteiskunnassa.
- Authors
Kokkonen, Tuomo
- Abstract
The article analyses J. K. Galbraith's idea of social and economic change presented in his classic book The Affluent Society. Galbraith's intentions are two-fold. On the pragmatic level Galbraith calls for a realistic and comprehensive analysis of the economic and social situation of the United States in the late 1950's. On a normative and theoretical level he seeks to renew economic thinking as both scientific tradition and everyday practice. In many ways Galbraith's project was parallel to the building of the welfare states in Europe. His goals were to detach society from the grip of economic thinking focused on the theme of scarcity, to accelerate economic growth, and to promote humanity and equality in the social conditions of society. This social change culminated in the rise of a new class. The new class was a social group of a well educated and work oriented middle class living a highly individualized and consumerist way of life. The latter part of the article criticizes that Galbraith was too optimistic in his trust in far-reaching social change. He did not give adequate attention to the problems of consumerism and individualization in terms of culture and identity.
- Subjects
UNITED States; GALBRAITH, John Kenneth, 1908-2006; SOCIAL dynamics; AFFLUENT Society, The (Book); SOCIAL participation; EQUALITY; SOCIAL classes; CONSUMERISM; INDIVIDUALISM
- Publication
Janus, 2008, Vol 16, Issue 1, p35
- ISSN
1235-7812
- Publication type
Article