Abstract
In this anthology of twenty-four commissioned scholarly chapters, the co-editors seek to, “review a range of other, mostly contemporary alternatives” to capitalism, consumption, and accumulation (p. 28). Among the main focuses of this book are a questioning of “capitalocentric” logic (p. 18), the preservation of resources and the environment’s future, a balanced critique of overconsumption, and genuine praise for the alternative organization as a reliable model to be followed. In doing this, the authors aptly succeed in challenging the implicit dimensions of capitalism that are linked to most social relations nowadays (p. 21).
The three opening chapters that comprise the first part of the book give an overview of capitalism and its limits. One example of these limits is the illusion of infinite “consumer choice.” In fact, the editors conjointly argue in their unsigned “Introduction” that the most easily accessible goods in the marketplace have probably been preselected by others, according to their own criteria and interests, and not necessarily to that of the consumer. They note, the wide range of products we can buy tend to be based on a restricted number of key ingredients, and is produced and distributed by a decreasing number of powerful multinational companies and retail chains that control what we can—and cannot—consume. (p. 11)
The broad selection of topics in this book allows for a few international perspectives and contrasted comparisons in decision-making schemes. One example is self-management in Argentina that burgeons despite the obvious, “material and ideological obstacles” within a work environment that is, “typically hierarchical and undemocratic” (p. 48). Going beyond some familiar alternative models such as cooperatives and communes, contributors in the third part of the book discuss themes such as “Fair Trade” that, among other things, challenge the conventional capitalist order. The notion of,“‘Fair Trade’ harnesses free market forces, in particular, the neo-liberal thirst for value addition, in the pursuit of global trade regulation” (p. 165). Other models studied here are “voluntary simplicity” and “downshifters” who “give up the pursuit of income in order to raise families, to have more leisure time or take up more rewarding work” (p. 211).
Among many original contributions, the chapter on gift exchanges presents examples like blood and organ donorship in certain countries (p. 201). In addition, another chapter reflects on the systemization of, “scrounging and reclaiming discarded food, clothing, electronics, plastics and metal” that would otherwise be wasted (p. 295). In the final part, comparative approaches allow a discussion of credit unions in developed economies and also in a few emerging regions of Southeast Asia (p. 262).
This Routledge Companion to Alternative Organization should not be viewed, however, as just a rigorous critique of capitalism with all its promises and excesses. These authors aim to think differently and imagine a new world. The solutions they propose or theorize are applied in various contexts, as demonstrated in the essay on “the bioregional economy,” a principle that seeks to eliminate energy consumption excesses for imported goods (p. 221), or in the use of free and open source appropriate technologies (OSAT) such as free software enabled by the GNU/Linux community (p. 308). More importantly, contributors remain critical even when presenting alternative models and protocols. In the case of Fair Trade, they explain, “as the movement has grown, organizational protocols have become increasingly bureaucratized and Fair Trade’s trust-based relationships are being replaced with formalized rules that drive market transactions within certified networks” (p. 176). Because of its positive and inspiring focus, this Routledge Companion to Alternative Organization is an instructive reference for public and university libraries as well.