The Critique of Commodification: Contours of a Post-Capitalist Society

241 Pages·2021·7.651 MB·English

by  Christoph Hermann

The Critique of Commodification

The Critique
of Commodification
Contours of a Post- Capitalist Society
CHRISTOPH HERMANN
1
3
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Library of Congress Cataloging-i n- Publication Data
Names: Hermann, Christoph, author.
Title: The critique of commodification : contours of a post-capitalist society /
Christoph Hermann.
Description: New York, NY : Oxford University Press, [2021] |
Includes bibliographical references.
Identifiers: LCCN 2021011291 (print) | LCCN 2021011292 (ebook) |
ISBN 9780197576762 (paperback) | ISBN 9780197576755 (hardback) |
ISBN 9780197576786 (epub) | ISBN 9780197576779 | ISBN 9780197576793
Subjects: LCSH: Commodification. | Capitalism.
Classification: LCC HB501.H4697 2021 (print) | LCC HB501 (ebook) |
DDC 330.12/2—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021011291
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021011292
DOI: 10.1093/ oso/ 9780197576755.001.0001
1 3 5 7 9 8 6 4 2
Paperback printed by Marquis, Canada
Hardback printed by Bridgeport National Bindery, Inc., United States of America
Contents
Acknowledgments vii
Introduction ix
1. The Critique of Commodification 1
2. A Theory of Commodification 20
3. The Politics of Commodification 40
4. Consequences of Commodification 62
5. Limits to Commodification 100
6. Rediscovering Use Value 119
7. Alternatives to Commodification 135
Notes 159
Bibliography 179
Index 207

Acknowledgments
As in most academic work, this book benefited greatly from previous re-
search and publications and from the support of and exchange with
colleagues and friends. Particularly inspiring was the work of Ursula Huws,
who has been publishing on commodification since the mid- 1980s. Her
insights into the nature of commodification processes are among the most
original and illuminating concepts ever published on the topic. Fortunately,
Ursula agreed to read and comment on various draft chapters of the book.
While her own book on commodification would likely look different from
this one, our conversations were instrumental in shaping my understanding
of commodification, and, subsequently, my argumentation as outlined in the
following pages.
I am also indebted to Greg Albo, Stefan Kipfer, Colin Leys, Sarah Stoller,
Sasha Lilley, and Michael Burawoy, who read and commented on parts of the
manuscript and to three anonymous reviewers, who offered valuable feed-
back on the first draft. The book greatly benefited from their input. I also
want to thank my editor, James Cook, who early on saw the potential of the
book and superbly guided me through the review and production process.
While completing the manuscript, I received the sad news that Leo Panitch
passed away. Leo was not only an intellectual giant, but also a terrific teacher
and a gracious friend. I was looking forward to discussing the alternatives to
commodification with him. He will be sorely missed.
The book would not have been possible without the emotional and intel-
lectual support of my partner Sandra Eder. The book is dedicated to our son
Noah Mpho. For the sake of the next generations, I hope that we will be able
to create a less commodified and therefore more just, enjoyable, and ecolog-
ically sustainable world. And I hope that this book makes a small contribu-
tion toward this goal.
Berkeley, December 2020

Introduction
The argument
“Commodification” has become a widely used term in academic and occa-
sionally even in political discourse. And most people who use it do so criti-
cally, i.e., in order to criticize certain aspects of our current economic system.
But what is commodification? And what is the problem with commodifica-
tion? After all, we consume commodities on a daily basis, and many of us
enjoy buying goods and services and spend a considerable amount of time
searching the internet for bargains. This book attempts to provide some
answers to these questions. Its main argument is that commodification entails
production for profit rather than social needs, and that production for profit
has a number of undesirable and perhaps even harmful consequences—
including, for example, the exclusion of those who cannot pay, the marginal-
ization of those whose collective purchasing power is not large enough, and
the focus on highly profitable forms of production at the cost of more socially
beneficial and ecologically sustainable forms of provision.
As a result of commodification, people are obese while others go hungry.
Healthy people in rich countries are bombarded with pharmaceuticals,
which in some cases cause drug addiction, while millions of sick people in
poor countries lack adequate drugs and treatments. Many are homeless,
while at the same time luxury condominium apartments go vacant. Private
partners in so- called public- private partnerships make record profits, while
public hospitals have to cut beds and staff numbers, resulting in unnecessary
deaths. Colleges spend more money for advertising and admissions than they
do on teaching. Commodification, furthermore, has fueled the industrializa-
tion of agriculture with disastrous effects for the environment, including, for
example, marine dead zones that are as big as the state of New Jersey. At the
same time, commodification blocks the transition to more sustainable forms
of production and consumption, such as public transportation. Last but not
least, commodification undermines solidarity and fuels inequality as access
to goods and services is solely decided by purchasing power. Given the neg-
ative effects of commodification, including the accelerating ecological crisis,
The Critique of Commodification. Christoph Hermann, Oxford University Press. © Oxford University Press 2021.
DOI: 10.1093/ oso/ 9780197576755.001.0001