Introduction: The Role of Culture in Explanations of Social Mobility

Abstract

During recent decades, the notion of culture has become more popular and more controversial at the same time. A booming new discipline, cultural studies, has put 'culture' at the centre of its attention. Economists and economic sociologists proclaim the 'value of culture' and argue that the time has come to 'bring culture back in' (Holton 1992: 179–214). Scholars of politics and international relations insist that 'culture matters' (Ellis and Thompson 1997) and warn that the cultural factor has been neglected. Notions of cultural diversity and productive culture have taken centre stage in management, and giving training to others in intercultural communication and cultural diversity has become a goldmine for enterprising individuals. So 'culture' has gained currency not only within the walls of academia, but also (or even more so) outside them. Culture is on everyone's lips, as the anthropologist Sahlins phrased it some years ago.