Synonyms
Definition
Commodification is defined as the process by means of which a good that was previously obtained through other means of distribution can now be purchased on the market. Put simply: to commodify something is to turn it into an object for sale (Radzik & Schmidtz, 1997). The process implies a significant change with regard to some goods: what was previously obtained through public regulation or private donation is now treated as an economic good, an object that can be bought by anyone who is willing to pay the price that the seller agrees to accept. The commodification of goods intrinsically connected to the human body – organs, tissue, gametes, etc. – is a topic of much ethical and legal debate.
Description
The process of commodification – not to be confused with “commoditization” – means an expanding range of “economic” goods, the kind of things that people can obtain by paying for it. In this sense, “commodification” indicates an extension of the...
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Reinders, H. (2023). Commodification. In: Maggino, F. (eds) Encyclopedia of Quality of Life and Well-Being Research. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-17299-1_443
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