Commons as Polanyian countermovement in neoliberal market society. A case study in Belgium

Abstract

Abstract Over the last two decades, scholars have witnessed a remarkable wave of new commons. They have mostly been conceptualized either as pragmatic management of common-pool resources or as a radical political idea and praxis. We assert that enriching the literature with a Polanyian perspective allows to go beyond the binary conception and affords a better understanding of the societal relevance of commons. Conceptualizing commons as part of a countermovement aimed at the gradual decommodification and re-embedding of markets, results in a more dynamic view on how commons function in the interplay of the social force of capitalism and the forces that limit or reverse it. This also shows the relevance of commons as interstitial alternative practices. The framework is illustrated by a case study on commons established in Belgium in 2015–2016. It shows that instead of focussing primarily on contentious action, commoners concentrate on establishing alternatives that prefigure the desired future society.