ABSTRACT
This chapter explores opportunities presented by the sharing economy to go beyond customary consumerism and to support more solidaristic forms of interaction. While the most prominent so-called sharing initiatives are primarily based on self-interest and profit accumulation. The chapter builds on an effort to conceptualize collaborative consumption in relation to communal exchange that occurs within the context of the social and solidarity economy (SSE). It demonstrates that certain forms of sharing tend toward greater sustainability because they encourage social cohesion and environmental improvement while others are motivated primarily by personal advantage and pecuniary gain with little to no concern for social or environmental outcomes. The chapter focuses on the subsequent discussion on more recent sharing economy initiatives that have originated specifically in Switzerland. More solidaristic expressions of the sharing economy, through political reforms and policy support, could enable social change and foster transitions beyond the customary consumer society.
