Traditional Marxist historical materialism employs a material analysis that privileges how capitalism interacts with subject formation and has been used in recent historicizations of sexuality. This paper understands that line of analysis to be gendering, racializing, and pathologizing and examines LGBTQ history as a starting point to decenter capitalism from the analysis. Using Roderick Ferguson's "queer of color" critique, this paper maintains that more specifically, history should attend to the emergence of surplus populations which capitalism keeps hidden. Under the umbrella of queer of color critique, migration studies, transnational perspectives, and the destabilizing nature of queer theory all have the capacity to provide a fuller view of sexual difference and the histories of LGBTQ and other surplus populations. Furthermore, a legal framework provides an opportunity to take theory into practice by examining legislation with the analytical scope of queer of color and from an anti-capitalist vantage point.

Prosperity theology is a variegated movement that overlaps both the Charismatic and non-Charismatic spectrums. This theology certainly has a Charismatic flavouring, but it is by no means limited to Pentecostalism. The prosperity message is being preached world-wide on TBN Television, radio and printed media. This gospel focuses on human potential for successful living, emphasizing health and wealth. There is a clear shift notable from theocentric providence to anthropocentric prosperity in the theology. The advocates which claim that it is God’s will for every believer to be prosperous are: Oral Roberts, evangelist, radio and TV personality in Tulsa, Oklahoma; the late Kenneth Hagin (1917-2003), pastor of the Rhema Bible Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma and founder of Rhema Bible Training Center; Kenneth and Gloria Copeland, founders of Kenneth Copeland Ministries in Fort Worth, Texas; Joel Osteen, pastor of the Lakewood Church, Houston, Texas and Jerry Savelle, evangelist and associate of Kenneth Copeland. The major emphasis of the prosperity movement is: “how to be healthy and wealthy”. According to the “health and wealth gospel” it is never God’s will for anyone to be sick. Roberts explains that God wants every believer to be healthy. He says that God wants not only to heal every believers body, but also wants him to live in a state of physical health (1960:8). Sarles notes that the provision of healing, according to the prosperity gospel, “…is found in the Atonement” (1986:331). A trilogy of Scripture is used to support this notion. The first is Isaiah 53:4-5. The interpretation of this passage is that through the cross of Christ, healing is as readily available as forgiveness of sin. Matthew 8:16-17 is a confirmation of Jesus’ healing ministry as fulfilling what Isaiah prophesied in Isaiah 53:4. Hagin explains: “Matthew says he is quoting Isaiah. If you check the reference, you will find he is quoting Isaiah 53:4. I like to say it this way: Jesus took my infirmities and bore my sicknesses” (1979:8). The conclusion is drawn that since Jesus healed all who came to him in his day, he still does the same today. Hagin confirms this notion: “It is God’s will to heal you, because healing is in His redemptive plan” (1979:7). The third reference of Scripture is 1 Peter 2:24. Hagin elaborates as follows: “Thus, Isaiah, Matthew, and Peter – three witnesses – tell us that not only did Jesus shed His blood for the remission of our sins, but with His stripes we are healed” (1979:8). The possession of healing according to these advocates is through the exercise of faith. Mark 11:23–24 is the backbone of these advocates to support their view on faith. By interpreting these verses literally faith then is defined as speaking or confessing something with authority in the full expectation that what is spoken by the believer will happen. Hagin (1978:21) says the following on Mark 11:24: “Jesus said it – and what He said is so! I believe it. If I believe it – then I’ll have it”. With this kind of exegesis certain phrases like “name it and claim it” and “believe and receive” made their way into the prosperity movement. In the case of sickness the believer would normally be motivated to talk to the disease with authority. Saying would be the command to be healed while confessing the healing is to receive the promise of the healing. According to the prosperity theology, the purpose of wealth is philanthropic. Sarles explains that each believer is to give of his material benefits to help meet the needs of those in need (1986:333). According to Copeland is genuine prosperity the ability to use God’s power to meet the needs of man in any area of life (1974:26). When the believer “gives” to others as an act of obedience and faith, more will be given by God in return. This will start a prosperity cycle, in which one gives and receives more in return and allowing him to give even more. Copeland explains this cycle: “The more you give, the more you will get; the more you get, the more you will have to give” (1974:34). Scriptures are cited in support of the law of compensation, known also as the law a “sowing and reaping”. Old Testament Scriptures cited by these advocates are normally Joshua 1:8; Psalm 91:14–16 and Nehemiah 2:20. New Testament Scriptures are John 10:10; Matthew 7:7–8 and John 16:23. The most prominent New Testament verse on the subject is 3 John 2. Roberts says the following on 3 John 2: “Jesus Christ did not come with a life-shortening suggestion but with a life-saving power. His highest wish is for us to prosper materially and have physical health equal to his peace and power in our soul” (1957:15). Sarles rightly notes that the promise of wealth, the fundamental principle for the prosperity movement, is clearly seen in several Scripture passages interpreted from a prosperity vantage point (1986:333). The provision of wealth as God’s will for all believers’ centres on the application of the Abrahamic Covenant. Hagin explains it as follows: “When the Lord God appeared to Abram, what He actually said in Hebrew was, “I am El Shaddai …” El Shaddai is one of seven covenant names through which God revealed Himself to Israel. In Hebrew, El Shaddai means “the All-Sufficient One” or “the God who is more than enough” (1980:1). Prosperity teachers conclude that the personal blessings God bestowed on Abraham by the covenant he made with him are extrapolated as benefits for all believers today. Justification for applying Abraham’s promised prosperity to believers today is sought in Galatians 3:14. God’s blessings bestowed on the believer today include physical, material and financial provisions according to the prosperity message. For the believer to achieve these blessings he needs to turn a few “keys”. The first key is to know the “Word”. The emphasis on knowing the Word, especially concerning prosperity is of utmost importance. Copeland explains in his book The Laws of Prosperity that the believer who is unaware that prosperity is his is like the passenger on a cruise ship who ate only cheese and crackers because he did not know that meals were included in the price of the ticket (1974:41). “Obedience” is the second key to becoming prosperous. Strite explain: “An essential key to financial success is obedience to what God is saying to you. In fact, it’s the only way to success. This pattern is consistent throughout the Bible. Obedience puts you in a place for God’s provision” (2000:66). The third key is “faith”. Faith is exercised in the same way as in achieving health. Just as it is God’s will for no one to be sick, it is also His will for no one to live in poverty. Wealth and riches are available to all believers. All that the believer has to do is to “demand” what he wants. The prosperity message in our time and age is very strong and is being preached worldwide through television, radio and print media. It comes from a certain group within the church with a simple message – God wants everyone to be prosperous. If you are not blessed materially there is something wrong with your faith. The researcher is convinced that prosperity theology in some circles today can do more harm than good to the believers. To the researcher, the central issue of the prosperity message is that God becomes the servant to man. The prosperity message treats God as a tool which can be used to reach certain financial goals. The whole message is man-centred and not God-centred. Believers are considered to be “God-like creatures”. Believers become super beings because of the indwelling of the Spirit. This research deals with the legitimacy of the so-called prosperity theology. The exegetical methods used by these advocates, as well as their theology and ethics will be critically evaluated. The researcher is convinced that through this research a balanced Biblical view can be presented on “money” and “material blessings”. / Prof. J. A. du Rand

Materialism has long been a subject of interest to researchers. More negative than positive consequences have been reported from studies on the lifestyles of materialists. For example, increased consumer and credit card debt, shrinking saving rates, increased number of consumers filing for bankruptcy, lower levels of life satisfaction and the depletion of natural resources are reported to be emanating from the increasing levels of materialism in societies. It is thus important to investigate the factors that can be implicated for the growth of materialism. Most of the studies attempt to explain materialism at a given point in time in isolation of the events people have experienced in their early life or childhood. Realizing that this practice is a shortcoming in consumer research, there is a call that consumer behaviour, such as materialism, be studied as a function of past life experiences using the life-course approach. While few studies have applied this approach to understanding materialism, little is known about the psychological processes that link childhood family structure to materialism. It is against this background that this study used the life-course approach to study how childhood family structure affects materialism through psychological processes of perceived family resources (tangible and intangible), perceived stress from the disruptive family events, and money attitudes of Generation Y South Africans. The study also assessed the moderating role of money attitudes on the relationship between childhood family experiences and materialism. Money attitude dimensions of status, achievement, worry, security and budget were introduced to broaden the life-course study of materialism because they are reported to begin in childhood, to remain in adulthood and they function in the background of every behavioural intention and action. Generation Y (commonly reported to be born between 1977 and 1994) were the subject of this study, because the literature reviewed revealed that these emerging consumers are not only numerous (about 30 percent of South Africans are Generation Y), have considerable influence and spending power, but most have been raised in disrupted single-parent/income families. With reports from family sociologists on the outcomes of divorce and single-parenthood (for example, stress, inadequate family resources, and low self-esteem) questions were raised as to how these outcomes would affect Generation Y money attitudes and materialistic values. Ten hypotheses were formulated to empirically answer the research questions. Using quantitative methodologies based on the nature of the research questions and problems, data were collected through online questionnaire from 826 business undergraduate students from the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan and Western Cape Universities. University-aged respondents were appropriate for this study since they are ideally suited to remember their past family circumstances and must have already formed consumption habits, attitudes and values at their age. The first research problem was to evaluate how two of the life-course theoretical perspectives (i.e., family resources and stress) selected for this study would explain the materialistic values of Generation Y South Africans raised in non-intact (did not live with both biological parents before 18th birthday) and intact (lived with both biological parents before 18th birthday) family structures through the money attitudes adopted. The results showed that even though a significant difference in perceived family resources (both tangible and intangible) and stress was found between subjects raised in non-intact (or disrupted) and intact families, the difference in materialism as a whole was not significant. In terms of the three materialistic values of success, happiness and centrality, subjects raised in disrupted families significantly scored higher in the happiness dimension. For the money attitude dimensions of status, achievement, worry, budget and security they significantly scored higher in the worry money attitude. Results of the correlation analyses showed that perceived decrease in tangible (food, clothing and pocket money) family resources was a childhood factor that affected later worry money attitude to significantly and positively influence all of the three materialistic values. Perceived decreases in intangible family resources (for example, love and emotional support) negatively affected the symbolic money attitudes of status and worry, which in turn, positively affected only the happiness dimension of materialism. Perceived increase in stress positively affected all of the symbolic money attitudes of status, worry and achievement. These, in turn, positively influenced only the success and happiness materialistic values. The second research problem was based on an assessment of the moderating role of money attitudes on the childhood family experiences to materialism relationship. Using hierarchical regression analyses, it was found that only the achievement and worry money attitude dimensions moderated the family resources to materialism relationship. This means that when subjects hold higher worry and achievement money attitudes, an increase in family resources (tangible and intangible) will have less effect in reducing materialistic tendencies. For the stress to materialism relationship, only the worry money attitude dimension had a moderating effect, meaning that when higher worry money attitude is held, an increase in stress from family disruptions would have a greater effect in increasing materialistic tendencies. None of the five money attitude dimensions did, however, moderate the childhood family structure to materialism relationship. The results of this study do not only have theoretical implications, but also provide valuable information to consumer-interest groups, banks and retailers, especially in terms of the money attitudes of Generation Y consumers in South Africa.

The purpose of this research is to investigate the concept of discretionary thrift amongst low income consumers. Flatters and Willmott (2009) identified discretionary thrift as an advancing trend amongst affluent developed nation consumers. These consumers temper their spending habits depending on product or occasion; there are certain products for which consumers are willing to pay a premium (behaviour associated with materialism) and there are others that consumers are looking to save money on (behaviour associated with frugality). Thrift for low income consumers, especially in emerging market settings, is not considered discretionary; rather, it is portrayed as ‘necessary’ to ensure survival. This study followed a descriptive, quantitative design and surveyed 154 individuals considered to be at the bottom of South Africa’s income pyramid. There is sufficient evidence from this research to support the proposition of discretionary thrift amongst low income consumers. Low income consumers were found to save money by paying as little as possible (behaviour associated with frugality) for fast moving consumer goods with low functional and status risk and were found to willingly pay the required premium (behaviour associated with materialism) for socially visible aspirational brands of clothing and fast moving consumer goods. The level of frugality and materialism expressed with respect to these products was not influenced by age or level of education. However, the level of frugality expressed with respect to these products was affected by an individual’s gross and disposable income. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / unrestricted

Past research has indicated that the visual presence of credit card images and monetary primes has an impact on an individual's actions. Feinburg (1986) reported that the magnitude and probability of spending were increased in the presence of credit card stimuli, and Vohs et al.'s (2006) series of studies demonstrated that exposed to monetary images, individuals became more self-sufficient and less willing to help others. The present study examined influence of money primes on materialism, consumer purchase intentions, and consumer attitudes. Materialism, was measured by the Richins and Dawson (1992) Material Values Scale (MVS), and was treated as both an independent variable. Consumer purchase intentions and behaviors were assessed using Attitude Toward the Ad (Henthorne, Tony, LaTour, & Nataraajan, 1993), Willingness to Buy (Dodds, Monroe, & Grewal, 1991), Willingness to Pay (Fienburg, 1986), and Attitude Toward the Brand in the Ad (Gardner, 1985). In addition, participants completed the Credit Card Use Scale (Roberts & Jones, 2001), and the Conformity Motivation Scale (Kahle). A total of 172 participants, enrolled in both undergraduate and graduate courses at SIUC, completed a two-part internet survey for extra credit. Results indicated that materialism levels were not increased when exposed to money primes (credit card and money symbols) when compared to the control group, rather the study found a significant decrease in materialism in the unhypothesized direction. In addition, the findings were unsupportive of the hypothesis that the inclusion of money primes (either credit card stimuli or monetary images) would increase an ii individual's purchase intentions and behaviors. Finally, an examination of the moderating effect of materialism produced non-significant findings, when comparing the influence of money primes between high and low materialism levels taken prior to the study's manipulations.

<p> Many factors shape the identity of the Evangelical church, some to its benefit, and others to its detriment. This thesis examines the relationship between materialism and Christianity through the framework of Jane Jacobs' work on the existence of two incompatible systems in public and communal life, the commerce and guardian systems. The principles of materialism and Christocentric ecclesiology are shown to belong to these different systems. Joining the missional discussion, this project therefore seeks to correct the influence of materialism on the church's identity by calling the church to a more Christocentric identity. Particular attention is paid to what a materialistic identity and a Christocentric ecclesiology mean for evangelism, church growth, and leadership. Following that discussion, the importance of three theological principles-transformation, incarnation, and service of others-are outlined.</p> / Thesis / Master of Divinity (M.Div)

This discussion aims to demonstrate how the project of identifying the nature of humanity is ongoing. The dominant models have their own flaws to contend with, and in the end we are still left uncertain of what constitutes our nature. Of the two views vying for prominence (dualism vs. materialism) neither is indubitable, nevertheless their are faithful proponents on each side. In a debate of belief vs. theory we see these seemingly disparate realms come together in a resignation to faith that their option is an adequate representation of human nature. / Religion

In theory of population migration, two major points of view are ¡©economic benefits¡ª and ¡©amenity of life¡ª. However, this research found that people still migrate to where land taxes is higher than others. This research tried to observe relation of individual value and migration of population and provided suggestion of factors of youth labor migration to authority. This case study of youth included questionary and analysis of statistics , treated affection of value change of youth to factors of population migration. By way of case study, results of this research reveal that affection of value tendency and selection of region conditions. First, there is significance regarding age, sex, city and county of census register, city and county of people grow up before 15 years, region, trade of father, level of education of father, socioeconomic status of family, value tendency of youth and selection of region conditions. Second, there is significance regarding value tendency of youth and selection of region conditions. Third, there is significance regarding value tendency of youth and selection of locate region conditions. In contrast, there is not significance regarding value tendency of youth and selection of work region conditions.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Alabama, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 99-112).

Ce travail propose une analyse de l’idéalisme absolu, de l’humanisme et de du matérialisme dialectique à travers les pensées respectives de Hegel, Feuerbach et Marx. Il s’agit pour nous d’étudier ici trois doctrines philosophiques qui se suivent chro- logiquement en montrant notamment comment s’est opéré le passage de l’idéalisme absolu de Hegel à l’humanisme philosophique de Feuerbach qui fera l’objet d’une critique assez sévère de la part de Marx qui par la même occasion le rejette après l’avoir intégré comme un moment dans l’élaboration de sa conception matérialiste du monde.Souvent présenté comme un penseur de second plan, dont le seul mérite est d’avoir amorcé les principes d’une critique de la pensée de Hegel dont il n’est jamais parvenu à se départir en tant qu’ancien disciple, Feuerbach occupe dans l’histoire de la philosophie une place pour le moins inconfortable. En effet, face à l’impérialisme marxien et hégélien (deux monuments de la philosophie), la pensée de Feuerbach est souvent présentée comme secondaire par les marxistes. C’est pourquoi l’un des objectifs de ce présent travail est d’étudier la pensée de Feuerbach pour ce qu’elle est et non à travers les grilles d’une lecture marxiste. / This work proposes an analysis of the absolute idealism, the humanism and the dialectical materialism through the respective thoughts of Hegel, Feuerbach and Marx. It is a question for us of studying here three philosophic doctrines which follow each other chro - logically by showing in particular how took place the passage of the idealism absolved from Hegel in the philosophic humanism of Feuerbach which will be the object of a rather severe criticism on behalf of Marx who at the same time rejects him(it) having integrated(joined) him(it) as moment into the elaboration of its materialistic conception(design) of the word.