Set against developments of this sort

Does "Set against developments of this sort" in the following context mean "in the situation of developments of this sort"?

Context:
Such attitudes assisted in the opening up of postmodern outlooks within the culture that were marked politically by a recognition of and respect for cultural diversity and difference. Set against developments of this sort, Capitalist Realism, with its emphasis on dominant cultural values, was not really able to remain in sole command of the field, especially when the economic boom of the 1980s brought home the need for advertisers to differentiate between and address an increasing number of new consumer groups (Art and Advertising by Joan Gibbons).