Research Artefact

How fluent are you in Capitalism?

A language study of everyday life

This short, completely anonymous survey explores how frequently the language of market logic appears in your daily conversations: with friends, with family, with yourself. Not at work. In your everyday life.

There are no right or wrong answers. We are simply interested in how often certain expressions appear in your daily speech.

It takes approximately 3–4 minutes. Thank you.

By clicking Begin, you understand that this research is part of an academic research project at the Royal College of Art. Data collected is anonymous and will be used solely for research purposes.

This instrument is part of an Independent Research Project at the Royal College of Art (2025–26) exploring postcapitalist futures.
Researcher: Atahualpa Badillo de la Rosa · 10027945

A few questions
about you

This helps us understand patterns across different groups.

* Required
How old are you? *
What is your gender? *
Where are you from? *
What is your field of work or study? *
What is your highest level of education?
Block 01 of 05

Time

How do you talk about time in your personal life, not at work?

Select how often you use it in personal conversations.

Phrase or expression Never Rarely Sometimes Often Always
"I spent the weekend with..."
"I can't afford to waste time"
"I need to manage my time better"
"That was a waste of time"

Note: Think about similar expressions you use with friends, family, or yourself. e.g. "I spend my time..." / "I wasted the whole morning" / "I don't have time for this"

Block 02 of 05

Relationships

How do you talk about your connections with other people?

Select how often you use it in personal conversations.

Phrase or expression Never Rarely Sometimes Often Always
"I invest in my relationships"
"This isn't worth my time"
"I give so much and get nothing back"
"You get what you pay for"

Note: Think about similar expressions you use with friends, family, or yourself. e.g. "She always gives more than she gets" / "It's just not working between us" / "I get nothing back from this friendship"

Block 03 of 05

Body & health

How do you talk about your body, energy, and wellbeing?

Select how often you use it in personal conversations.

Phrase or expression Never Rarely Sometimes Often Always
"I need to be more productive"
"I need to optimise my routine"
"No pain, no gain"
"I need to recharge"

Note: Think about similar expressions you use with friends, family, or yourself. e.g. "I've been so unproductive today" / "I need to recharge" / "My body is not performing well"

Block 04 of 05

Decisions

How do you evaluate your everyday choices and experiences?

Select how often you use it in personal conversations.

Phrase or expression Never Rarely Sometimes Often Always
"It paid off"
"I can't afford to make that mistake"
"You need to pay attention"
"I need to cut my losses"

Note: Think about similar expressions you use with friends, family, or yourself. e.g. "Was it really worth it?" / "I can't afford to get this wrong" / "That effort paid off"

Block 05 of 05

Identity

How do you talk about yourself your growth, your worth, your progress?

Select how often you use it in personal conversations.

Phrase or expression Never Rarely Sometimes Often Always
"I need to invest in myself"
"Always room for improvement"
"I need to work on me"
"I'm not the best version of me"

Note: Think about similar expressions you use with friends, family, or yourself. e.g. "I feel like I'm falling behind" / "I need to be better" / "There's always room to improve"

How fluent are you in Capitalism?

Capitalism does not only organise economies. It organises how we think, how we value, and how we speak, including in moments that have nothing to do with money.

Your capitalism fluency score

0
out of 80
Beginner Bilingual Native speaker
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Thank you for taking part.
Your response contributes to research on how economic language is part of daily life vocabulary beyond the market.

Score by domain
Time
Relationships
Body & health
Decisions
Identity
What inspired this. This artefact grew out of an Independent Research Project at the Royal College of Art exploring post-capitalist futures. The central question: if capitalism organises not just economies but imaginations, can we trace that logic in the most ordinary language we use every day?

This artefact aims to understand how capitalist vocabulary has become embedded in our daily speech, often without us noticing. It seeks to make this visible: to bring to the surface a logic that shapes how we think, relate, and value, even in moments that have nothing to do with money.

How the score works. Each of the 20 phrases is rated on a scale from 0 (Never) to 4 (Always). Your total is the sum of all responses, out of a maximum of 80. The score is divided into three equal bands: Beginner (0–26), Bilingual (27–53), and Native speaker (54–80), reflecting how deeply market logic appears to be embedded in your everyday speech.

What the diagnosis means. A higher score does not mean you support capitalism or are unaware of its logic. It simply reflects exposure and immersion. We all inherit the language around us. The purpose of this artefact is not to judge but to make visible what usually goes unnoticed.

This artefact is part of a research project at the Royal College of Art exploring postcapitalist futures. If you have questions or would like to participate further, contact: 10027945@network.rca.ac.uk