Challenging Capitalism Begins in Everyday Lives: The Culture of Meci, the Gift and the Commons

Abstract

In the grand tradition of the social sciences, the quest to build a future beyond capitalism is accused of having no basis in reality. Through fieldwork conducted in the Fındıklı district of Rize in Turkey, this study challenges this claim and proposes a distinct perspective to construct an anti-capitalist alternative project based on the long-standing culture of meci, a solidarity-based practice rooted in voluntary participation without any expectation in return. The study first explores how meci has shaped everyday life in a historical context and then shifts its focus to the politically revitalized content of the culture prompted by the electoral success of a leftist political figure in the 2019 local elections. Inspired by the idea of creating cracks in capitalism, the study concludes by exploring whether meci could be understood through the lenses of the gift and the commons – two concepts that hold the potential to challenge the foundational principles of capitalism.