Economic Systems, Child Rearing Practices and Personality Development

A bstract . Traditional Weberian theory posits that the values inherent in particular religious ideologies give rise, at least in some societies, to attitudes predisposing individuals towards a particular type of economic organization. In conjunction with this, McClelland postulates that socialization practices mediate and inculcate religious values in such a way that certain economic attitudes and behavior patterns emerge in adulthood; certain practices result in a motivational predisposition such as need achievement. However, recent research indicates that, in evolving societies, the economic-ecological variables strongly influence the types of child rearing practices used and the parentally-instilled values and ideology. Thus, personality predispositions and personal values depend, to a large extent, upon the economic structure and occupational roles of the society. As society increases in social-structural and technological complexity , the relationship between personal values and the economic institution becomes reciprocal.