What Are Markets For? - What Is It For? by Philip Roscoe Paperback

Book Synopsis

A new perspective on the role of the market, and its future place in society.

Markets are apparently straightforward: they connect buyers to sellers. But their operation is complex, depending on places, things, networks and performances. Belief in markets is a cultural and political ideology. They are a means of governance in modern society, linked to individualistic self-responsibility.

But markets also have a darker side. Not everything should be for sale. Markets wield political power; they benefit those who already have resources; they impair collective action; they can be exploitative. As well as asking what markets are for, this book asks who they are for and what needs to change if they are to enable us to thrive in the 21st century.

Review Quotes

"What Are Markets For? is a deceptively simple question that starts to unravel as soon as you pull at the strings that make markets and hold them together. This is what Philip Roscoe does in this lively and compelling book." Bill Maurer, University of California, Irvine

"A 360° tour of markets, like a filmmaker roaming economies with a camera - simple yet deep, detailed without ever losing perspective. A must-read." Koray Caliskan, The New School

"Politically engaged and engagingly written, this book equips social scientists with the necessary tools for investigating and tinkering with markets." Paul Langley, Durham University

About the Author

Philip Roscoe is Professor in Management at the University of St Andrews. His research takes a sociological approach to markets and finance. A former journalist, he was one of the first BBC Radio 3's New Generation Thinkers. His previous book, How to Build a Stock Exchange, was published by Bristol University Press in 2023.