| ID | 100274 |
| Title Proper | Decommodification and egalitarian political economy |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Vail, John |
| Publication | 2010. |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | This article contends that decommodification is an appropriate concept for understanding diverse initiatives such as fair trade, microfinance, open source, social enterprises, and the environmental commons as component features of a common process. Decommodification is conceived as any political, social, or cultural process that reduces the scope and influence of the market in everyday life. Given recent transformations in market societies, a more expansive framework for decommodification is urgently required. Decommodification would insulate non-market spheres from market encroachments; increase the provision of public goods and expand social protection; promote democratic control over the market by creating economic circuits grounded in a logic predicated on social needs rather than profit; and undermine market hegemony by revealing the market's true social costs and consequences. By ensuring basic needs, enhancing individual capacities and capabilities, and promoting social cooperation and collaboration, decommodification constitutes a central feature of an egalitarian agenda. |
| `In' analytical Note | Politics and Society Vol. 38, No. 3; Sep 2010: p310-346 |
| Journal Source | Politics and Society Vol. 38, No. 3; Sep 2010: p310-346 |
| Key Words | Decommodification ; Commodification ; Fair Trade ; Commons ; Social Movements |