Weber’s Spirit of Capitalism and the Bahamas’ Junkanoo Ethic

21 Pages Posted: 19 Nov 2010

See all articles by Virgil Henry Storr

Virgil Henry Storr

George Mason University - Department of Economics; George Mason University - Mercatus Center; University of Arizona Center for the Philosophy of Freedom

Date Written: January 1, 2006

Abstract

The Protestant ethic which, according to Weber, contributed to economic development in the West is only one of a variety of work ethics that can be identified and studied. In the Bahamas, for instance, a definite Junkanoo ethic colors economic life. Junkanoo is a semiannual carnival-like festival that is the quintessential Bahamian cultural experience. This paper argues that Weber’s Protestant Ethic can serve as a model for telling culturally aware economic narratives and uses Weber’s approach to discuss the role that the Junkanoo ethic has played in the economic success of the Bahamas (the richest country in the West Indies).

Keywords: Max Weber, Culture and Entrepreneurship, Economic Sociology

JEL Classification: B25, B41, O54, Z13

Suggested Citation

Storr, Virgil Henry and Storr, Virgil Henry, Weber’s Spirit of Capitalism and the Bahamas’ Junkanoo Ethic (January 1, 2006). Review of Austrian Economics, Vol. 19, No. 4, 2006, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1711227

Virgil Henry Storr (Contact Author)

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University of Arizona Center for the Philosophy of Freedom ( email )

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