Social Limits to Growth: The Commercialization Bias
Author(s)
Hirsch, Fred
Abstract
Commercialization in our economy, substituting explicit for informal exchange, is in some sectors not an efficient means of meeting individual preferences. It represents not what people want, choosing among all potential alternatives, but merely what they get when inadequate special provision is made for satisfying individual demands that the market is technically unsuited to fulfill. In economically advanced societies, social norms that influence sociability and friendliness are progressively strained by market forces. As individuals consume ever-increasing quantities of goods, time pressures mount, leaving less time to cultivate friendships.
