Multi-dimensional decommodification: a reply to Graham Room

• Published in: Policy and politics Vol. 28; no. 3; pp. 353 - 359
• Main Author: Esping-Andersen, Gøsta
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Policy Press 01.07.2000; The Policy Press; SAGE Publications
• Subjects: Capitalism; Citizen participation; Commodification; Consumption; Criticism; Decommodifcation; Decommodification; Everyday life; Independence; Labor; Life course; Market forces; Marxism; Marxist analysis; Personal development; Production; Quality of Working Life; Social Rights; Specification; Sweden; Terminology; Welfare; Welfare State; Work; Work Attitudes; Working Life; Working Women; social rights; decommodifcation; welfare; working life
• ISSN: 0305-5736; 1470-8442
• DOI: 10.1332/0305573002501018

Replies to Graham Room's (2000) critique by examining Room's positive contributions to the study of decommodification. Although Esping-Andersen supports many of Room's views, including Room's theory that decommodification should be extended into the realm of working life, Esping-Andersen does not support Room's commodity status of labor theory. In particular, Esping-Andersen disagrees with Room's contention that the commodity status of labor is determined by self-realization in one's working life. Esping-Andersen also finds fault with Room's belief that Room himself should be credited with adding a new dimension to the study of decommodification. Loose hypotheses are offered with respect to the study of decommodification. These hypotheses are based on the attitudes of Swedish women toward their working lives, the dependencies that stem from familialism, & the varying job rights that are built into employment relationships throughout the world. A call is made for further research on the subject of decommodification as consumption at the point of production. 19 References. K. A. Larsen