To Örebro University

This article theorizes the role of sharing in the broader transformation of society toward sustainability. In a context where overconsumption prevails, adopting strategies that move away from reliance on private possessions and ownership and in the direction of more collective approaches, such as the sharing of goods, resources, and services, is crucial. We undertake an integrative literature review specifically predicated on a theoretical understanding of the social conditions for nonprofit sharing. It builds on a conceptual model of the social that is based on five facets: inner life, social relationships and interactions, socio-material arrangements, social stratification, and institutions. We stress that while digitalization and smart use of technology may facilitate the mainstreaming of some sharing practices, not least through market-based initiatives, there is a risk that these forms of commercialized sharing will only complement continued and increased consumption. Therefore, the decisive and urgent question is to foster a nonprofit sharing economy that also counteracts consumerism and overconsumption, and a prerequisite for this objective is to develop and support more noncommercial forms of sharing. Prioritizing the five facets of the social provides insights into the various opportunities, barriers, and challenges that organizers of nonprofit sharing face. These insights can be further tested in policy and practice and explored in future research.