Definition:
Collective ownership is an arrangement in which resources, assets, or means of production are owned and governed jointly by a group or community rather than by private individuals.
Usage Context:
Seen in cooperatives, commons-based systems, mutual aid structures, community land trusts, and alternative economic models.
Critical Note:
Collective ownership is often caricatured as inefficient or unrealistic. In practice, its effectiveness depends on governance, accountability, and shared norms rather than scale alone, and it directly challenges the assumption that private ownership is the default or most legitimate form of control.
Related Terms:
Commons, Commons-Based Systems, Communal Ownership, Alternative Systems, Decommodification