5.2. Socio-cultural characteristics of the attitude to money - the psychology of money

Attempts to identify the sociocultural characteristics of attitudes towards money were made in macroeconomic studies, as a rule, of a generalizing nature. The most interesting questions are the relationship:

• to money as a value,

• to money and work

• to competition

• to savings.

However, it is difficult to determine the influence of sociocultural traditions in its pure form today, since the level of economic development, the degree of the country's involvement in the world economic system, the level of organization of production and the banking system — the qualities of supranational, crushing the sociocultural specifics in all spheres are of overriding importance. Although, of course, tradition indirectly affect the national economic behavior in relation to money. Some are satisfied with the position of the rentier, for others it is important that money bring money, others prefer to spend everything at once ...

English economist R. Lynn summarized the materials of several authors and found:

1. a positive correlation between the value relation to money and the economic growth of a country (the greater the economic growth, the greater the value of money);

2. a negative correlation between the value of money and per capita income (the higher the income, the lower the value of money).

Conclusions from this are obvious, since with low per capita income, money is mostly spent on daily spending. With the economic growth of the country, the mass of money increases, the number of their functions increases, from which their value increases, but not indefinitely. At the stage of saturation with money, their value in the eyes of the man in the street decreases.

Socio-cultural traditions are closely intertwined not only with the economic situation, but also with ethical issues. Studies of the structure of values ​​among young people have confirmed that in countries with a stable economy, particularly in Europe, ethical aspects of labor, skill (conservative values) are more valued, and in countries with economic growth (Japan, Turkey, Taiwan, Bangladesh, Israel, etc. .) more welcome competition, motivation for success, increased savings.

The manifestation of compensatory mechanisms is interesting. Revealed that in countries with low per capita income, bills and coins are usually larger than in rich countries.

The above examples show that the economic factor is strong enough to destroy the socio-cultural features in the perception of money . Traditions have been preserved to a greater degree where economic growth has recently begun, despite the change in the structure of values ​​among young people.

A. As a rule, the nature of traditions is associated with a system of self-preservation that has been developed among nations for a long time and reflected in their mentality.

• Even in Japan, due to the centuries-old isolation, the specific attitude to money remains. They accumulate for traditional, almost iconic trips . Different from the European structure of spending on household items, etc.

• Increased interest in the accumulation of money, often in their gold equivalent, has been kept by the Jews , for many centuries forced to think "about the black bottom."

• Belarusians tend to hide money , since the whole history of their country is unstable. There was no war that would not pass through their territory.

• The Russians (in Russia), from the vagabond to the merchant, have a generally light attitude towards money , which has never been much and could have been taken away at any time.

B. The sociocultural characteristics of the attitude to money manifest themselves in the structure of spending, in saving money, in relation to guests, in feelings experienced towards richer or poor fellow citizens, in problems of equalization distribution.

• In the tradition of many eastern nations, it is customary to receive a guest generously . Often for the reception borrow money, food. The whole family clan participates in this promotion. It is accepted from distant lands to bring gifts to all relatives. The Russians have always been generous to the guest. True, they managed for this purpose mostly by the forces of one family.

• Among a number of European nations, brought up in the spirit of Protestantism and Lutheranism, in the tradition of respect for work and receiving money for it, there were formed an installation for their individual use: they are welcomed modestly, in the restaurant the guest pays for himself, etc.

• In Russia , where traditionally the manifestation of extreme feelings and actions, a long stay in a state of formal monetary equality reinforced the negative perception of growing inequality. These factors are considered his main measure. People are aware of their rank position on the scale of material well-being and treat it affectively. This feature is not fully determined by belonging to the socio-cultural environment, but rather refers to a transitional period when the psyche of people has not yet had time to master the changes that have occurred. At the same time, the material inequality oppresses the older generation more (the ratio of maximum and minimum wages is 20: 1, and in Moscow, according to some calculations 100: 1), than the young one, who did not know formal equality, when the ratio of maximum and minimum wages was 4: 1.

C. Sociocultural differences caused by economic reasons manifest themselves in the sphere of negative emotions - guilt, anxiety, tension, fear of unemployment, discomfort, arising from the loss of control over their financial situation. These tendencies are not very pronounced among the Russian workers, since the planning-distributive and market systems in different ways form the attitude towards money and wealth. In the planning and distribution system there are significant benefits for the psyche. This is confidence in the future (when there are social guarantees for salaries and pensions and there is no fear of a bank being robbed by a depositor). The market system, providing more opportunities for earnings, contributes to the development of abilities, self-realization and generates at the same time more dangers leading to stress, neurosis - due to risks in economic behavior, fear of robbery, alienation, lack of empathy, money fanaticism. No wonder in Western countries, especially in the United States, a growing demand for psychotherapist services. Domestic entrepreneurs are in a state of constant and even greater mental pressure - in addition to the usual mental market pressure accompanying the economy, the struggle for the redistribution of property and markets, the uncertainty of tax legislation and much more have a great influence on them. It can be assumed that a special type of entrepreneur is formed under the complex influence of national and economic causes. This is confirmed by special studies. Each society is characterized by its own psychological type of entrepreneur, which is formed under the influence of factors of culture and social atmosphere.

At the stages of primitive accumulation of capital, since, according to M. Weber, the seizure of property is carried out mainly by adventurous people who are not capable of producing goods, there is a danger of turning money into self-worth, into a single value and over-value . Easily earned money "in a merchant" is spent in restaurants, shops, resorts. In this case, the person falls into the most disharmonious state. Money should serve a person’s life, not his wallet, foolish whims, bluster.

On the other hand, the buyer should think more about his wallet than the seller’s wallet. Most of the citizens of the former USSR, who had guaranteed income and little money, always easily treated their spending. They traded less, lent money more willingly, thought less about money, had almost no unrest associated with it. People easily believe the pyramids, the air traders, not only because they are generally inclined to believe in offers of easy money, but also because of the paradoxical situation in which they, on the one hand, had no experience of large-scale deception, and on the other, were convinced that their state cheating.

Interesting research has been started in the field of sociocultural differences in the definition of qualities among different peoples, which are considered to be priorities for acquiring wealth. Russians, more than other nations, tend to associate financial success with the abilities, efforts, and knowledge of the individual. In Western countries, business success is often associated with initiative, determination, dedication, ability to overcome obstacles. So-called workaholics, who possess both groups of these properties and are able to devote all their time, often without days off and vacations, turned out to be successful in doing business (and not in turning air into money). These people, as a rule, provide a high quality of life, but they live (relative to their income) modestly, investing all their money in production.

Modern Russian features of attitude to money are largely shaped by the current economic situation, as well as mentality. They are found in psychological and sociological research of values. Such surveys are conducted quite regularly by sociological centers, both among young people and among the older generation. Increasingly, among the qualities of people like "young, beautiful, intelligent, kind," in the first place put "rich." On the question of values, more and more often answers “state, position”, etc.

As the wealth of countries and individuals grows and a large number of people are aware of income imbalances, opinions on the fairness of their convergence are becoming more and more common. A considerable part of the population of different countries, as shown by the results of a number of studies, today prefers income equality to what freedom and the market can offer. Professionals are against equalization distribution, but for creating the appearance of income convergence through social policies.