The Meaning, Prospects, and Future of the Commons
Revisiting the Legacies of Elinor Ostrom and Henry George
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 2811050 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Franklin Obeng‐odoom (0000-0003-3997-7751, University of Technology Sydney, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2016 |
| Volume | 75 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 372-414 |
| Publication date | 2016-03-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | American Journal of Economics and Sociology (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0002-9246 • E-ISSN: 1536-7150 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1111/ajes.12144 |
| OpenAlex | W2297637191 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 16 |
| References cited | 60 |
Elinor Ostrom's work on the commons has convinced mainstream economists that "collective" governance of the commons can overcome the "tragedy of the commons" and "free-rider problems." Yet, a more systematic appraisal of Ostrom's work shows that it contains no concept of justice. Her idea of rights is extremely limited, often tied to the notion of joint, rather than equal, rights. Indeed, for Ostrom, the notion of the commons is socially separatist and not ecological. Ostrom uses historical examples, but without analyzing how common possession historically evolved and was undermined by external forces. Hence her proposed "collective action" to save the commons actually accelerates the real threats to the commons. A strikingly different and more holistic approach to the commons is offered by Henry George, who posits the commons asthemost important path to social, economic, and ecological sustainability. Unlike Ostrom, who studied the commons "scientifically" to show that some goods are neither private, public, nor club-based, George studied the commons to understand and remove injustice at the roots. His approach is more critical and certainly more relevant today in showing that another world is possible. However, George's work too, requires significant changes to update its framing of the meanings, prospects, and future of the commons
Collective action · Common-pool resource · Commons · Economics · Law and economics · Political science · Politics · Sociology · Tragedy of the commons · Economic Theory and Institutions · Law · Political Economy and Marxism · Political Philosophy and Ethics
Javno dobro, skupni viri in skupno
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A Real-Assets Model of Economic Crises
Henry George and Jane Jacobs on the Sources of Economic Growth
Social Identities of Young Indigenous People in Contemporary Australia
The Migrant Cocoa Farmers of Southern Ghana
The Idea of Indigenous People
| Unique citing works | 16 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1,6 |
| Citation span | 2016 - 2026 (11) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 14 |