Understanding the roles of decommodification in socioecological transformations: a new theoretical approach

Decommodification is widely considered a central pillar of progressive socioecological transformations, like the green new deal, degrowth and ecosocialism. Yet it is inadequately problematised and theorised in the existing literature. It is often simply stated as a normative goal rather than theorised as a central part of the transformative process. It is also commonly reduced to services, such as transport and energy, and sometimes framed in Eurocentric terms. The global geographical diversity of decommodification is therefore overlooked and the wider role it plays in both supporting and challenging capitalism is underexplored. This article introduces a new theoretical approach that captures these dimensions and provides a stronger foundation to analyse and strategise the diverse roles of decommodification in socioecological transformations. It argues that the relationship between decommodification, production, and value is crucial for grasping the character of decommodification and its capacity to support or hinder progressive socioecological transformations. Further, the article shows that although decommodification is central to progressive transformations, it can also support regressive and reactionary responses to environmental crises. Hence, simply calling for more decommodification is not enough; grasping its limits and contradictions, and tailoring it to the context and task are essential.