MARKET DEPENDENCE

DEFINITION:

The condition in which individuals, organizations, or societies rely on economic markets for access to resources, goods, services, opportunities, and survival necessities.

FUNCTION:

Links participation in economic systems to access, security, and quality of life by making market participation a primary means of obtaining resources.

EXAMPLES:

  • Wage employment
  • Consumer markets
  • Housing markets
  • Healthcare markets
  • Financial markets
  • Food distribution systems
  • Global supply chains

RELATED SYMBOLS:

RELATED SYSTEMS:

NOTES:

Market dependence occurs when essential resources become primarily accessible through participation in economic exchange systems. The greater the dependence, the more influence market conditions exert on behavior and decision-making.

CONTROL TEXT OBSERVATION:

When access to necessities is mediated through markets, economic participation becomes more than an activity—it becomes a condition of survival and social participation.