ABSTRACT
This volume aims to define a field of interdisciplinary research we deem commodification studies, which asks why some things can be alienated by gift but not by sale. Markets for organs, sex, or emissions, for example, are said to be contested, noxious, or repugnant. But what makes them distinct from other markets, such that their prohibition or regulation might be required? In this introduction, we specify the central question of commodification studies, and then offer a theoretical overview of its origins. From there we make our case for having organized a volume on commodification studies according to the types of goods and markets that are most widely contested (political goods, physical goods, and environmental goods) and present in brief the arguments of our contributors. We conclude by identifying challenges for future research.
