Questioning Conventional Assumptions of Competition Dynamics

This book challenges conventional assumptions long established in the social science fields about the sources and consequences of competition.

Ahlam Lee (Author)

9781009348096, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 21 August 2025

324 pages
23.5 x 16 x 2.3 cm, 0.61 kg

Competition permeates various facets of our lives, from the job market to sports arenas, influencing resource allocation, recognition opportunities, and societal dynamics. However, entrenched notions in social sciences, particularly the assumption of a linear correlation between competition and inequality within free-market systems, can limit perspectives. This book challenges such assumptions, delving deeper into the multifaceted nature of competition dynamics. Drawing from extensive literature and empirical data across diverse systems, cultures, and eras, it offers readers a nuanced understanding of competition's complexities. Contrary to prevailing beliefs, competition's roots are not solely tied to Western individualism and capitalism. By examining competition through cultural, economic, and political lenses, this book enables readers to recognize that such an assumption represents only a selective portion of competition dynamics. By embracing an interdisciplinary approach, this book encourages readers to reevaluate their perspectives on competition, recognizing its varied sources and consequences beyond conventional paradigms.

1. Introduction: competition from an economic, cultural, and political perspectives Ahlam Lee
2. Attitudes toward competition in Asian and western societies from the late 1980s to the early 2020s Ahlam Lee, Eun-A Park and HyunJung Jo
3. Socialist competition Ahlam Lee
4. Competition after the economic reforms of China and Vietnam Ahlam Lee
5. The emergence of a hidden market economy in North Korea Ahlam Lee
6. Competition in the (Former) totalitarian countries' political arenas Ahlam Lee
7. Ideological factors influencing the soviet union's investment in sport psychology Samuel Eshleman Latimer
8. Competition dynamics between North Korean refugees and South Koreans Ahlam Lee, Eun-A Park and HyunJung Jo
9. Visible but unspoken competition in North Korea: narrative of the author from North Korea Eun-A Park
10. North Korea, where I lived: socialist mass movements and the spectrum of competitive (un) consciousness HyunJung Jo
11. Conclusion: Insights and reflection questions about competition dynamics Ahlam Lee
Index.

Subject Areas: Psychology [JM]