Etymology of Commodification
The term “commodification” traces its roots to the word “commodity,” which itself originates from the Latin word “commodus,” meaning “convenient” or “useful.”
The concept of commodification emerged in the 19th century primarily in the context of economics and sociology. It refers to the process by which goods, services, or even ideas are transformed into marketable or exchangeable entities, emphasizing their monetary value over their inherent qualities or societal implications.
This term won currency as a critical concept in understanding the transformation of various aspects of human life and culture into commodities within capitalist systems.
Meanings of Commodification
| Meaning of Commodification | How it is Used in Literature |
| Commodity Fetishism | In literature, the concept of commodity fetishism is used to explore how goods take on mystical qualities in capitalist societies, overshadowing their true significance. It is often used to critique consumerism and portray the dehumanizing effects of capitalism. |
| Cultural Commodification | In literature, cultural commodification is used to analyze the appropriation and commercialization of cultural elements like language, symbols, or traditions. Authors employ this concept to explore its impact on cultural authenticity and integrity. |
| Literary Commodification | Within literature, the theme of literary commodification is used to highlight the commercialization of literature itself, often emphasizing profit over artistic or intellectual value. It can serve as a lens to critique the publishing industry and examine the complex relationship between art and commerce. |
| Commodification of Identity | Literature employs the concept of commodification of identity to delve into how personal identity is commodified, leading individuals to conform to market-driven expectations. This theme is used to address issues related to identity politics, conformity, and the loss of individuality in consumer-driven societies. |
| Environmental Commodification | In ecological literature, environmental commodification is used to scrutinize the exploitation and commercialization of natural resources. Authors use this concept to shed light on the resulting ecological degradation and environmental crises stemming from the commodification of the environment. |
| Technological Commodification | In literature, technological commodification is utilized in the context of the digital age to explore how aspects of human life, such as privacy, personal data, and emotions, are commodified. Dystopian or speculative fiction often uses this concept to speculate on the potential consequences of technological commodification. |
Definition of Commodification as a Theoretical Term
Commodification, as a theoretical term, refers to the process by which goods, services, or intangible concepts are transformed into marketable entities within a capitalist system. This transformation typically emphasizes their exchange value and profit potential while often overlooking their intrinsic qualities or social implications. In academic discourse, commodification is a critical concept used to analyze the impact of market forces, consumerism, and commercialization on various aspects of society, culture, and human life.
Commodification: Theorists, Works and Argument
| Theorist | Work | Key Points |
| Marxist Perspective | Karl Marx – Capital (Das Kapital) | – Karl Marx argued that literature and culture are commodities produced and consumed within a capitalist system, serving the interests of the ruling class by promoting their ideology. |
| Cultural Studies Approach | Stuart Hall – Encoding and Decoding in the Television Discourse | – Stuart Hall’s cultural studies approach highlights how literature and culture can be commodified and used for ideological manipulation, emphasizing the role of power and control in this process. |
| Postcolonial Critique | Frantz Fanon – The Wretched of the Earth | – Fanon’s work in postcolonial theory examines how colonial powers commodify the culture and literature of colonized peoples, reinforcing colonial dominance and devaluing colonized culture. |
| Feminist Analysis | Simone de Beauvoir – The Second Sex | – Simone de Beauvoir’s feminist perspective addresses the commodification of women in literature, arguing that women are often objectified and reduced to commodities within patriarchal narratives. |
| Consumer Culture and Postmodernism | Jean Baudrillard – The Consumer Society: Myths and Structures | – Baudrillard’s postmodernist view explores how literature and culture become commodities in a consumer-driven society, blurring the boundaries between reality and representation. |
| Literary Canon and Cultural Capital | Pierre Bourdieu – Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgement of Taste | – Bourdieu’s theory of cultural capital examines how literature is commodified within the literary canon, with the selection of works reflecting the interests and values of the dominant social class. |
| Globalization and World Literature | Pascale Casanova – The World Republic of Letters | – Casanova’s work explores the commodification of literature within a global context, highlighting how the global literary market commodifies authors from different cultures, often favoring Western norms. |
Commodification and Literary Theories
| Theory | Use of Commodification | Analysis |
| Marxist Literary Theory | Marxist literary theory employs the concept of commodification to view literature as a product of capitalism, where literary works themselves become commodities. | It conducts an analysis that explores how literature either serves the interests of the ruling class by promoting its ideology or challenges the status quo by exposing class contradictions. |
| Cultural Studies | Cultural Studies examines how culture, including literature, is produced, consumed, and commodified within society. | Its analysis delves into the role of power, identity, and ideology in the cultural production and consumption of literature, highlighting how literature reflects and shapes cultural norms. |
| Postcolonial Theory | Postcolonial theory uses the concept of commodification to analyze how colonizers commodified the culture and literature of colonized peoples, often reducing them to exoticized commodities. | Its analysis investigates how colonial literature perpetuates imperialist control, devalues colonized culture, and reinforces colonial power dynamics. |
| Feminist Literary Theory | Feminist literary theory focuses on the commodification of women in literature, examining how women are objectified and reduced to commodities within patriarchal narratives. | The analysis within this theory explores how literature both challenges and perpetuates gender stereotypes and inequalities, providing insights into gender dynamics in society. |
| Postmodern Literary Theory | Postmodernism sees literature within a consumer-driven, media-saturated society, where signs and symbols are commodified. | The analysis here centers on how literature blurs the boundaries between reality and representation, often critiquing the commodification of culture and language in a postmodern context. |
| New Historicism | New Historicism employs the concept of commodification to consider how literature is shaped by historical and cultural contexts. | Its analysis investigates how literature reflects and negotiates power dynamics, economic structures, and cultural practices within the specific historical period in which it was created. |
| Critical Theory | Critical theory examines literature’s role in shaping and reflecting society’s values and norms, often within a commodified context. | Its analysis investigates how literature can critique and subvert commodification, offering alternative perspectives on culture and society, and questioning dominant ideologies. |
Commodification as a Literary Device
Commodification as a literary device involves the portrayal of objects, characters, or concepts as marketable commodities within a narrative, often to critique consumerism or explore the dehumanizing effects of capitalism. This literary technique serves to illuminate the pervasive influence of economic forces on individuals and societies, inviting readers to reflect on the commodification of human experiences and values in contemporary culture. By employing commodification in their narratives, authors engage with broader socio-economic issues, offering readers a lens through which to analyze the impact of market-driven ideologies on human lives and relationships.
Examples: Commodification in Literary Criticism
| Work and Theme | Theoretical Perspective | Type of Commodification |
| Nausea by Jean-Paul Sartre (French) | Existentialist Literary Theory | The novel explores the protagonist’s existential nausea and alienation in a modern capitalist society, where everyday objects and the self become commodities, highlighting the commodification of meaning and existence. |
| “The Metamorphosis” by Franz Kafka (Czech-German) | Psychoanalytic Literary Theory | Kafka’s story portrays the protagonist’s transformation into an insect, becoming a commodity exploited by his family, reflecting themes of alienation, dehumanization, and the commodification of the individual. |
| “The Hollow Men” by T.S. Eliot (British-American) | Postmodernist Literary Theory | The poem delves into the spiritual emptiness and fragmentation in the modern world, highlighting the commodification of religious and cultural symbols and the elusive nature of meaning. |
| “The Society of the Spectacle” by Guy Debord (French) | Critical Theory and Media Studies | Debord’s essay critiques the concept of the spectacle in a consumer-driven society, where everything becomes a commodity mediated through images, reflecting the commodification of everyday life and perception. |
Suggested Readings
- Marx, Karl. Capital: A Critique of Political Economy. Translated by Ben Fowkes, Penguin Books, 1990.
- Jameson, Fredric. Postmodernism, or, The Cultural Logic of Late Capitalism. Duke University Press, 1991.
- Hall, Stuart. The Cultural Studies Reader. Edited by Simon During, Routledge, 1993.
- Baudrillard, Jean. The Consumer Society: Myths and Structures. Translated by Chris Turner, Sage Publications, 1998.
- Eagleton, Terry. Literary Theory: An Introduction. Blackwell Publishing, 2008.
- Frow, John. Time and Commodity Culture: Essays on Cultural Theory and Postmodernity. Oxford University Press, 1997.
- Slater, Don. Consumer Culture and Modernity. Wiley, 1997.
- du Gay, Paul et al., editors. Cultural Economy: Cultural Analysis and Commercial Life. Sage Publications, 1997.
- Lash, Scott and Celia Lury, editors. Global Culture Industry: The Mediation of Things. Polity Press, 2007.