Social Generativity : A Relational Paradigm for Social Change (Routledge Advances in Sociology)

The 2008 economic crisis called into question the sustainability of the individualistic consumer society. However, for better or for worse, this long-term crisis represents an opportunity for the creation of a new model of growth to reform capitalism, structurally as well as culturally. As a contribution to this debate, Social Generativity offers a much-needed and original conceptual synthesis, within a unique anthropological focus on the forms of selfhood sustained by the historical and economic conditions of the present day. Encompassing four years of interdisciplinary empirical research based primarily on a sample of social groups, organizations and firms in Italy, this volume redefines the notion of "Social Generativity" from its pyschological origin (as formulated by Erik Erikson) to that of a social action that can be implemented during daily life and in different spheres of existence. A critical analysis of contemporary capitalism, this volume will appeal to postgraduate students and policy makers interested in fields such as Organisational Studies, Anthropological Theory, Social Change, Economic Sociology, Public Affairs and Business Ethics.