ABSTRACT
The shift from Fordism to post-Fordism involves a set of changes in the organisation of production in late capitalist economies. These changes concern not only the ‘how’ of production – the way in which goods are made, but also the ‘what’ of production – the nature of products themselves. The discussion below centres on this second element, the distinctive kinds of goods which are produced in contemporary economies. In particular, it considers the expanding economic role of knowledge, information and signs: as aspects of the labour process, as components of production, and as commodities for consumption.
