Reviews for Building Capitalism: The Transformation of the Former Soviet Bloc

The average rating for Building Capitalism: The Transformation of the Former Soviet Bloc based on 2 reviews is 3.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2017-01-15 00:00:00 Ronald Ricci In her ethnography, Consumption Intensified: The Politics of Middle-class Daily Life in Brazil, Maureen O'Dougherty sets out to define and problematize notions of middle-class through an investigation of consumption patterns and practices during a time of economic crisis in Brazil. Inevitably, her ethnography becomes about much more than middle-class consumption practices as she explores transnational flows of goods and capital and how the quest for modernity actively shapes consumption and identity. Ultimately, she examines the complex relationship between discourse and experience, combining participant observation, media analysis, interviews, and archival research to investigate the ways that Brazilian middle-class subjectivity is constantly shifting and shaped not only by economic and political forces, but also by native constructions of class. Ultimately, it could be argued that, "a classe media e um sonho, e ilusao" [the middle class is a dream, it's an illusion]."

Review # 2 was written on 2014-01-13 00:00:00 Chris Reed This book serves its purpose perfectly well, it just isn't something to really recommend as a read. This is for assigning to undergrads and grad students as the first reading in a world or global history class. Marks is attempting to get away from a Euro-centric model of recounting world history; he wants to re-orient world history to the...orient...sort of. He basically is arguing that the Indian Ocean world was the first place where all kinds of cultures came together to trade, and this is where world history can really be said to 'begin'. The Chinese and the Indians were really the drivers of history at this point, as they were simultaneously the big producers of goods and the big markets. But Europe was desperate to get in on the action, so they accidentally discovered America, developed nice new guns and boats, and started their long, illustrious history of pushing everyone else in the world around. Now we are reaching a point after several centuries where China and India are heading towards regaining their rightful thrones as the cruxes of the world. I also get a sense that you can read this book and basically understand what Pomeranz is arguing in The Great Divergence, as Marks cites him at length, and I think he's making the same or a similar argument. So anyway, this is for students to read and then they can come to class and argue about getting away from being Euro-centric and about whether this is just switching from Euro to China-centric and why did some countries industrialize before others and etc.