What we talk about when we talk about the commons

More than 30 years ago, Elinor Ostrom published her pioneering work “Governing the commons” (1990); in her work, Ostrom analysed natural common pool resources such as groundwater basins, fisheries and irrigation systems. Since then, the term “commons” has been used to describe not only natural resources but also knowledge, digital, urban and cultural ones. As a result, the study of the commons is rich with diverse disciplinary perspectives that characterise a complex academic debate. This seminar series aims to offer an opportunity for different perspectives to communicate with each other to generate new knowledge and overcome disciplinary boundaries. In particular, this project aims to surface potential tensions and conflicts, and discuss if and how the theoretical framework of the commons can be a useful tool in addressing global challenges, from climate change to cultural participation.

These initial conversations, including a final symposium that will welcome different academic perspectives, will provide the groundwork for the creation of a research network.

The project aims to focus on the following strands:

1. Governance and the politics of the commons: what is the relationship between the commons and private and public actors? How do inequalities impact the governance of the commons? Finally, are the commons, as a concept, inherently political? What is the impact of this on the future of democracy?
2. Resources and processes: when we talk about the commons, are we describing a process (of ‘commoning’) or a resource? How do the ideas of conservation and transformation affect the management of the commons? What are the implications of these matters on environmental and urban governance?
3. Economics: to what extent do the commons represent an alternative economic system? Can this concept be the basis for new economic imaginaries?