The Impact of a Money Economy on Consumption Patterns
| Author | Elizabeth E. Hoyt |
| Published date | 01 May 1956 |
| Date | 01 May 1956 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/000271625630500103 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
12
The
Impact
of
a
Money
Economy
on
Consumption
Patterns
By
ELIZABETH
E.
HOYT
I N
this
paper
I
am
interpreting
my
subject
as
the
effect
on
consumption
patterns
of
situations
in
which
new
money
income
results
from
new
oppor-
tunities
to
make
or
earn
money
under
conditions
of
technological
change.
It
is
implied
in
my
subject
that
new
oppor-
tunities
for
choice
are
offered.
The
most
important
source
of
these
would
ordinarily
be
the
market.
There
is,
however,
another
source,
namely,
goods
and
especially
services
which
may
be
offered
free
or
at
low
cost
by
govern-
ment,
religious,
or
social
agencies;
these
may
directly
affect
consumption
choices
and
indirectly
influence
market
choices
as
well.
No
situation
of
economic
change
in
underdeveloped
societies
is
a
simple
one,
and
many
noneconomic
as
well
as eco-
nomic
influences
affect
the
spending
and
use
of
income.
These
influences
vary
greatly
from
time
to
time
and
from
place
to
place.
Further,
we
have
no
complete
picture
of
the
impact
of
eco-
nomic
change
on
consumption
patterns
in
even
one
underdeveloped
society.
Economic
change
has
been
studied
much
more
frequently
from
an
interest
in
pro-
duction
or
an
interest
in
distribution
than
from
an
interest
in
consumption.
For
consumption
we
have
some
studies
of
family
expenditures,
usually
made
with
primary
concern
for
whether
or
not
people
have
enough
(in
no
case
known
to
the
writer
do
we
have
studies
relat-
ing
to
the
same
people
at
different
pe-
riods
made
with
the
same
classifications
and
interpretations
of
spending);
evi-
dence
of
change
from
the
production
and
sale
of
new
goods
and
services
in
the
economy;
some
studies
relating
to
particular
areas
of
consumer
expendi-
ture,
as
food
and
housing;
and
a
variety
of
more
or
less
organized
observations
of
change,
some
of
them
made
by
care-
ful
observers.
It
would
be
premature,
in
fact,
to
look
for
accurate
measure-
ment
in
a
field
in
which
basic
theory
needs
development
and
for
which
we
first
need
to
agree
on
what
it
is
most
important
to
measure.
The
subject
of
consumption
change
under
impact
of
a
money
economy
might
be
approached
from
the
point
of
view
of
effects
of
buying
on
production,
ef-
fects
on
trade,
effects
on
stability,
and
of
several
other
interests
to
which
the
actions
of
consumers
contribute.
The
point
of
view
of
this
paper
is
that
of
consumers
as
such,
their
attitudes
and
behavior
and
their
welfare
in
so
far
as
the
latter
is
a
matter
of
objective
proof
or
objective
agreement.
RESISTANCE
TO
A
NEW
MONEY
ECONOMY
It
is
safe
to
say
that
among
underde-
veloped
peoples
there
is
likely
to
be
some
resistance
to
a
new
money
economy.
The
attractions
of
new
goods
and
serv-
ices
do not
completely
outweigh
the
ob-
jections
to
regimented
production,
loss
of
leisure,
closer
contact
with
outsiders
as
officials
or
taskmasters.
Even
free-
dom
from
want
itself
unless
the
want
is
dire
may
at
first
seem
less
attractive
than
freedom
to
carry on
in
the
old
way.
The
easiest
transitions
to
a
new
money
economy
occur
when
change
is
slow
and
people
are
able
to
set
their
own
pace.1
1
Actually
the
test
of
successful
change
is
equilibrium
among
the
changes,
which
is
most
likely
to
be
achieved
when
change
is
slow
and
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