anticommodification
Anticommodification is a normative stance in political theory and social critique that opposes treating goods, services, and social relations as market commodities. It argues that certain dimensions of human life—healthcare, education, housing, care work, culture, and data essential to personhood—are better governed by public, communal, or ethical considerations rather than by price signals alone. The term is used across disciplines, including political economy, sociology, anthropology, and feminist theory, to discuss when market arrangements should be constrained or replaced by non-market practices.
Proponents maintain that anticommodification protects equality, solidarity, autonomy, and human dignity by preventing essential needs from
Critics argue that anticommodification can hinder efficiency, innovation, and choice, and that clear boundaries between market
Contexts and tools associated with anticommodification include calls for universal public provision, regulation or constraint of