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Karim Bettache, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong KongAbstract
I critically examine the pervasive yet often-neglected influence of capitalism on psychological processes and human behavior. While capitalist ideologies like neoliberalism have entered the mainstream in psychology, there remains a lack of deeper engagement with the foundations of capitalism. I argue that capitalism generates distinct cultural syndromes that emerged from the unique historical experiences of Western societies and are deeply rooted in the core principles of capitalism: profit motive, market competition, and private property ownership. I then argue that these principles manifest as capitalist cultural syndromes termed the "gain primacy", "zero-sum rivalry", and "ownership" syndromes, which collectively drive a self-enhancement agenda resulting in an overarching "individualist syndrome". I then explore how these syndromes maintain and reproduce social inequalities. By adopting a critical-historical approach, this presentation situates its analysis within a broader critique of capitalism, aiming to illuminate its impact on human thought, behavior, and well-being.
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