Field Systems and Enclosure

Enclosure is a concept developed in Marxian political economy referring to the private appropriation of common resources under capitalism. Originally, the term defined the practice of fencing common lands into individual holdings that occurred in the Late Middle Ages in Europe. This process brought about the dispossession of peasants from their means of subsistence and contributed to the transition from feudalism to capitalism. Today, increasing numbers of scholars consider the enclosure of the commons as an ongoing process. Human geographers and other social scientists have analyzed different forms of enclosure that engender conflicting value practices and pertain to both human and nonhuman life. Examples include the privatization of public utilities and services (e.g., waste, water, and transportation systems), the appropriation of tangible and intangible resources (e.g., technologies and knowledge), the control of the human body, and the rendering for sale of living beings. This entry traces the history and different dimensions of the concept through the examination of iconic contributions in the field.