This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Varman, R. Articles by Kappiarath, G. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

The Political Economy of Markets and Development: A Case Study of Health Care Consumption in the State of Kerala, India

Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta, India, rohit{at}iimcal.ac.in

Gopal Kappiarath

Virginia Tech University, USA

Marketing theory has largely ignored the issue of power in influencing exchanges. Most of the studies either disregard the role of power, or resource power is the only dimension taken into account. In this study, we expand the existing understanding by centrally situating the role of socio-political power in the consumption process. We examine the health care system in the Indian state of Kerala and highlight that socio-political power is a crucial determinant of consumption levels. In the process, we argue that in a resource—constrained Third World society socio-political empowerment is critical to the development process.

Key Words: consumption • health care • political economy • power

Critical Sociology, Vol. 34, No. 1, 81-98 (2008)
DOI: 10.1177/0896920507084624


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?