ABSTRACT
Since ancient times, so the story goes, people have met on suitable places to exchange goods – for mutual benefi t. Today the marketplace may be said to embrace practically the whole globe – not always for mutual benefi t as we have seen. This growth is not only a question of geographical expansion. We have experienced an expansion of the market into such areas as child care, care of the elderly, nursing and so on. Market thinking (ideology) is one of the most powerful ideas in the world today. So, whether one likes it or not, it is important, if not inevitable, to understand the functioning of the market. In this chapter we will discuss the main features of the market, trying to understand both how it works and how it does not work.
