Freedom, Equality, and the Many Futures of Commodification
Martha Ertman, Joan C. Williams, RETHINKING COMMODIFICATION: CASES AND READINGS IN LAW AND CULTURE 303, NYU Press, 2005
12 Pages Posted: 9 Sep 2005
Abstract
Is everything for sale? Or is there a realm of sacred things and relationships outside the market? Classic texts on commodification tend to fall into two camps. People who support the recognition of legal markets in adoption, human organs, military service, and votes, and everything else generally feel they are defending freedom of contract - people's freedom to buy and sell whatever they wish. In contrast, people who question whether markets in parental rights or body parts (as well as intellectual property, identity, religious standing, or homemaking labor) worry about other values notably equality, dignity, and solidarity. In both pro- and anti-commodification camps, the instinct is to frame discussions in terms of an on-off decision about whether or not to commodify. This book familiarizes readers with the traditional commodification debate, and offers a solution to the impasse in sharp new writings that move beyond the on-off question of whether or not to commodify.
Keywords: Commodification, markets, property, family, inalienability
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