A Commodified World?: Mapping the Limits of Capitalism

Reseña:
Late capitalism is widely assumed to involve an inevitable shift towards more and more commodified economic relations, while 'non-capitalist' activities are disappearing. This book critiques this notion. It seeks to show that a combination of new 'cultures of resistance', choices being made by the more affluent in industrialised countries, and continuing economic pressures on the poor and marginalized all constrain this tendency, or even threaten to reverse it. The author finds that, even in the advanced economies, a non-commodified realm persists that is as large as the commodified sphere and growing relative to it. He draws on extensive empirical evidence of trends and new patterns of economic activity - including changes in women's participation, differences between wealthy and poor urban areas, and between urban and rural sectors. He explores non-commodified practices of resistance. And he concludes that governments and communities, by de-coupling production and consumption from the commodified realm, could open up alternative development paths.