Sidney mintz sweetness and power summary. Show more without projecting symbols against the differentiated class structures of the societies within which they are being manipulated we cannot illuminate the link between sweetness and power. Through this declaration sidney mintz author of sweetness and power highlights the. Mintz the author sets out to uncover the meaning and place of sugar in the modern world specifically england and how it came to be.
Sugar has had a large impact on society and the economy that is not noticeable unless thoroughly studied. About sweetness and power a fascinating persuasive history of how sugar has shaped the world from european colonies to our modern diets in this eye opening study sidney mintz shows how europeans and americans transformed sugar from a rare foreign luxury to a commonplace necessity of modern life and how it changed the history of capitalism and industry. He examines the power structures that made it possible for sugar to become the first luxury turned necessity which propelled a revolution in diet and lifestyle particularly in the working class during the industrial revolution and the rise of capitalism.
Sweetness and power is a good model of anthropological thoroughness in that it investigates the physical historical social and economic aspects of sugar throughout british culture and by extension much of western culture. Mintz in his attempt to enlighten the educated layperson. Sidney mintz illuminates and discusses the social and economic history of sugar production and consumption in europe and its colonies particularly focusing on england.
The place of sugar in modern history by mintz sidney wilfred 1922. Sweetness and power is a historical study of sugar and its affect on society and economy since it was first discovered. In his thoroughness mintz has written a fairly complex book im sure the discussion of the capitalist nature of plantations lost a lot of people not familiar with the ideas of economic history but not overly academic.
712 words 3 pages.