Critically discuss the extent to which capitalism has affected human relationships - Essay ExampleUnder these views capitalism has not a ‘stable’ and ‘standard’ format but tends to alternate in order to be adapted to the current political, social and financial conditions of a specific society. Capitalism can have many aspects; however it has certain characteristics and principles that remain the same throughout the years. More specifically, as Mcintyre (1992, 42) found ‘for capitalism to function smoothly, peoples "needs" must conform to the requirements of the production system; at the same time, Capitals search for ever expanding pools of surplus value requires the expansive manipulation of those needs’. One of the sectors that have suffered from capitalism is with no doubt the human relationships. In this case, capitalism has managed to transform not only the ‘structure’ but also the ‘content’ of the relevant relationships alternating their nature and changing their role.
