Alternative Economies and Commoning Practices in Catalonia: Unpacking Ecoxarxes from a Social Studies of Economisation Perspective

Abstract

The alternative economies of the Ecoxarxes (eco-networks) are created by autonomous networks of like-minded groups that use social currency and mutual support practices for producing and exchanging goods, services and knowledge in the Spanish region of Catalonia. Drawing on ethnographic research, we show that these commoning projects aim to establish and sustain alternative economies that are predominantly framed as fostering cooperation, mutual aid and the commons. However, we complicate the picture by using a social studies of economisation approach as an analytical method, highlighting the variegated and contested character of the Ecoxarxes. This perspective demonstrates how economic projects, including alternative ones, have their own framings, frictions, challenges and misfires that emerge from within. As much as the Ecoxarxes have a post-capitalist spirit and a commoning praxis, we equally engage with issues such as overaccumulation of social currency, the need for regulation, burnouts and constraints to participation.