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Elinor Ostrom's Rules for Radicals

Cooperative Alternatives beyond Markets and States

Derek Wall author

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Pluto Press

Published:20th Oct '17

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This book highlights the pivotal contributions of Elinor Ostrom, emphasizing her relevance for contemporary radical politics and green movements. Elinor Ostrom's Rules for Radicals serves as a guide to alternative economic frameworks.

In Elinor Ostrom's Rules for Radicals, the groundbreaking contributions of Elinor Ostrom, the first woman to win the Nobel Prize for Economics, are explored in depth. Her innovative theories regarding the commons have been recognized as transformative, paving the way for alternatives to capitalist economic models. Despite her significant impact, many who identify as radicals remain unfamiliar with her work. This book aims to illuminate the importance of Ostrom's insights for contemporary green politics, leftist economic strategies, and the pursuit of radical democracy.

Derek Wall's analysis challenges the perception of Ostrom as merely a conservative thinker. Instead, he positions her ideas as essential for shaping a leftist political agenda in the modern era. Central to Ostrom's philosophy is the concept of moving 'beyond panaceas'—an approach that emphasizes the necessity of transforming institutions to enhance participation, promote diversity, and encourage cooperation over competition. She consistently critiqued the individualistic and elitist tendencies prevalent in academia, advocating for a participatory model of education that aligns with her radical vision.

As activists increasingly turn away from centralized power structures, the relevance of Ostrom's work becomes even more pronounced. Her investigations into the management of shared finite resources hold profound implications for the Green movement. The principles of collective ownership she outlines are crucial for fostering radical social change, making Elinor Ostrom's Rules for Radicals a vital resource for anyone seeking to understand and implement non-traditional economic frameworks.

'Elinor Ostrom's Rules for Radicals has given me food for thought and action' -- John McDonnell
'A fascinating insight into the only woman to win the Nobel Prize for economics. I thoroughly recommend this book to anyone interested in alternatives to the neoliberal consensus' -- Caroline Lucas, Co-Leader of the Green Party
'An astute interpretative overview of Ostrom's far-ranging scholarship on the commons: inspiration and guidance for a new generation of commons thinkers and activists' -- David Bollier, author of Think Like a Commoner, and Director of the Reinventing the Commons Program at the Schumacher Center for a New Economics
'The UK's vote to leave the EU and the election of Donald Trump as US President are both signs that working people are rejecting the global economy. This makes the work of Elinor Ostrom, with its focus on common ownership and political empowerment, very timely' -- Molly Scott Cato, Green MEP for South West England

ISBN: 9780745399355

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: 205g

160 pages