Cultural and Moral Economy

This long course (2-hour lecture, 2-hour seminar and 1 office hour a week) will explore the nature of social embeddedness in the economy. It involves the examination of morals, ethics and cultural representations in the market economy (du Gay 1997; Thompson 1997; Ray and Sayer 1999; Throsby 2001; Holton 1992). The course examines:

  • how culture is big business, and examine how cultural goods and services are produced, marketed and sold in an increasingly global economy (du Gay 1997; Throsby 2001);
  • how far can culture be regulated through formal controls on media, and how are such controls shaped and contested in an age of cultural diversity and global cultural industries (Thompson 1997; Ray and Sayer 1999);
  • the strongest arguments offered in defence of market, we defend non-market institutions against the growing incursions of market norms (O'Neill 1998; Wolfe 1989, Keat 2000).

Readings

* Paul du Gay (ed) 1997, Production of Culture/ Cultures of Production, Sage Publications and Open University, London.

* Kenneth Thompson (ed) 1997, Media and Cultural Regulation, Sage Publications and Open University, London.

* Larry Ray and Andrew Sayer (eds.) 1999, Culture and Economy: After the Cultural Turn, Sage Publications, London.

* David Throsby (2001) Economics and Culture, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

Alan Wolfe, 1989, Whose Keeper? Social Science and Moral Obligation, University California Press, Berkeley.

+Robert Holton, 1992, Economy and Society, Routledge, London.

William Shaw and Vincent Barry, 1998, Moral Issues in Business, 7th Edition.

+John O'Neill, 1998, The Market: Ethics, Knowledge and Politics, Routledge, London.

+Russell Keat, 2000, Cultural Goods and the Limits of the Market, Macmillan, Basingstoke.

+Andrew Sayer and Richard Walker, 1992, The New Social Economy, Blackwell, Cambridge MA.

Tim Edwards, 2000, Contradictions of Consumption, Open University Press, Buckingham.

Celia Lury, 1996, Consuming Cultures, Polity Press, Cambridge.

WEEK (2-hour lecture and 2-hour seminar)

  1. Introduction: Aims of the course. Understand the nature and dynamic of ‘economy’ and ‘culture’ (du Gay Introduction; Holton Ch1; Throsby Ch1).

No seminar

  1. Globalisation: Key aspects of globalisation process, particularly as they relate to questions of culture, economics and media (du Gay Ch1; Wolfe Chs2-3; Sayer and Walker Ch2).

Seminar: Throsby Ch2

  1. Production of Culture: Approaches to production of culture from the macro perspective (stressing the structural and economic elements), and the micro perspective (stressing the human agency and cultural meanings) (du Gay Ch2; Holton Chs7-8; Keat Ch7).

Seminar: Throsby Ch7

  1. Fashion: Consideration of fashion's cultural and economic aspects in the circulation (i.e. production and consumption) of fashion in clothes (du Gay Ch3; Lury various chapters; Edwards Ch7).

Seminar: Ray and Sayer Ch6

  1. Advertising: Arguments about the significance of advertising and design, and how these practices are situated in the circuit of culture (esp. the world of production and activities of consumers) (du Gay Ch4; Edwards Ch3).

Seminar: Throsby Ch6

  1. Corporate/ Organisational Culture: Examines ways in which - and reasons why - organisations seek to structure meanings of work for their employees (du Gay Ch5; Sayer and Walker Ch3; Keat Ch6).

Seminar: Ray and Sayer Ch7

  1. Identity at Work: Explores the changing meanings of work, and how managers and workers have sought to make meaning for people at work for greater global competitiveness (du Gay Ch6; Sayer and Walker Ch5; Keat Ch5)

Seminar: du Gay Ch6 - Readings

  1. Test
  2. Regulation: Asks the question how the competing global and modern pressures for change and order have been manifested and contested in different forms of cultural regulations (Thompson Ch1; Wolfe Chs4-5; Shaw and Barry various chapters; Throsby Ch5).

Seminar: Throsby Ch8

10 Morality: Key aspects of moral values and rules that regulate leisure and recreational activities, particularly, sexual activities in the media (Thompson Ch2; Wolfe Ch8; Keat Ch4).

Seminar: Ray and Sayer Ch4

11Multiculturalism: Explores the different forms of multiculturalism, and their implications for regulatory policies for relations between cultural communities and society as a whole (Thompson Ch4; Ray and Sayer Ch5; Wolfe Ch9; Holton Ch2).

Seminar: Ray and Sayer Ch1

12Markets: Discussion of norms, conventions, habits (cultural capital) in actual economic practices, and a moral case against market intrusions (O'Neill various chapters; Ray and Sayer Ch2; Keat various chapters; Wolfe Ch1).

Seminar: Ray and Sayer Ch3

13Examination

Assignments

One essay of 2-3000 words

End of semester examination and mid-semester tests (written papers)

Weekly seminar presentations