Overview

Not for Sale examines key dimensions of the current assault against communal resources by relentless commodification and privatization. Gordon Laxer and Dennis Soron include chapters by social scientists who explore ways in which progressive projects of ""reclaiming"" the commons involve confronting the capitalist drive to commodify all aspects of existence, including human body parts, water, labour, knowledge, and even the air we breathe. The book argues that crucial areas of social and natural life should not be treated as commodities regulated by undemocratic markets. Not for Sale discusses the alternatives presented by local, national, and international struggles to decommodify and democratize as many spheres of life as possible.

Full Product Details

Author:   Gordon Laxer ,  Dennis Soron ,  Gordon Laxer ,  Dennis Soron
Publisher:   Broadview Press Ltd
Imprint:   Broadview Press Ltd
Dimensions:   Width: 15.20cm , Height: 1.40cm , Length: 22.90cm
Weight:   0.380kg
ISBN:  

9781551117522

ISBN 10:   1551117525
Pages:   277
Publication Date:   01 May 2006
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Professional and scholarly ,  Tertiary & Higher Education ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Manufactured on demand  
We will order this item for you from a manufactured on demand supplier.

Table of Contents

List of Tables and Figures Acknowledgements Part One: Framing the Issues 1. Thematic Introduction: Decommodification, Democracy, and the Battle for the Commons Dennis Soron & Gordon Laxer   2. The Commodity Status of Labour: The Secret of Commodified Life David McNally   3. On the Ownership of Nature Birgit Muller 4. Cosmopolitan Elites Versus Nationally-focused Citizens—Cycles of Decommodification Struggles Gordon Laxer   Part Two: Dynamics of Commodification 5. The General Agreement on Trade in Services—Politics by Another Means Ellen Gould 6. Frontiers of the Market: Commodifying Human Body Parts Trevor W. Harrison 7. A New Gender (Dis)order?—Neoliberal Restructuring in Australia Ray Broomhill & Rhonda Sharp                8. Water is Life! The Debate over Private Sector Participation in Water Supply Karen Bakker   Part Three: Democratic Struggles for Decommodification 9. Commodification and Decommodification in Mexico under NAFTA Teresa Gutierrez-Haces 10. Forging New Democracies: Indigenous Struggles for Autonomy Gerardo Otero & Heidi Jugenitz 11. In Defence of the Environmental State: NGO Strategies to Resist the Commodification of Nature Anita Krajnc 12. From the Knowledge Economy to the Knowledge Commons: Resisting the Commodification of Knowledge Jennifer Sumner 13. Decommodifying Daily Life: The Politics of Overconsumption Dennis Soron    References Notes on Contributors Index

Reviews

One of the great struggles of our time is taking place between those who want to privatize and commodify every aspect of life, including social programs, culture, water, air, and seeds, and those who believe in the existence of a global 'commons'--a shared human heritage that must be protected from the rules of the market. Not For Sale examines this emerging field of study with some of the most exciting thinkers and activists of our time. A thorough and challenging book. --Maude Barlow, National Chairperson, Council of Canadians Cuts to the heart of what is at stake in globalization--and, for that matter, capitalism itself--with theoretical clarity, empirical detail, and landing lights. --Amory Starr, author of Naming the Enemy: Anti-Corporate Movements Confront Globalization and Global Revolt: A Guide to Alterglobalization

A thorough and challenging book. - Maude Barlow, National Chairperson, Council of Canadians

Author Information

Gordon Laxer is a political economist in the Department of Sociology at the University of Alberta. He is the author of Open for Business: The Roots of Foreign Ownership in Canada (Oxford University Press, 1989) and co-editor (with Sandra Halperin) of Global Civil Society and Its Limits (Palgrave Macmillan, 2003). Professor Laxer is the director and co-founder of Parkland Institute, a non-corporate, Alberta research network. Dennis Soron is an Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology at Brock University.

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