Social Exchange: Barter as Economic and Cultural Activism in Medellin, Colombia

Grassroots activists in Medellín, Colombia have used barter markets and community currencies to reinvent money and markets, creating an economy based on respect and reciprocity. Brian J. Burke's book "Social Exchange" provides an ethnographic investigation of this activism and its effects, offering an intimate glimpse of urban life in Latin America and a broader analysis of non-capitalist or post-capitalist possibility.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 242 pages
Publication date: 16 September 2022
Publisher: Rutgers University Press

In our lives, money holds immense significance, serving as a multifaceted problem, goal, motivator, measure of self-worth, and indicator of national progress. Moreover, it exerts a profound influence on our relationships with one another and our natural environment. However, what transpires when communities embark on the transformative journey of reinventing money and markets? Over the past twenty-five years, grassroots activists in Medellín, Colombia, have employed barter markets and community currencies as a strategic approach to rebuild a social fabric torn apart by violence and establish an economy grounded in respect and reciprocity rather than exploitation. In his book, Social Exchange, Brian J. Burke delves into a comprehensive ethnographic exploration of this activism and its far-reaching consequences. This narrative takes us into the intricate tapestry of cultural and material impacts of capitalism and narco-violence, while also offering insights into the emerging contours of new radical imaginations and the ways in which individuals bring them to life. The outcome is an intimate portrayal of urban life in Latin America, coupled with a broader examination of non-capitalist or post-capitalist possibilities.

Weight: 3g
Dimension: 229 x 152 x 30 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781978829626