Towards a Political Economy of Degrowth

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Since the 1970s, the degrowth idea has been proposed by scholars, public intellectuals and activists as a powerful call to reject the obsession of neoliberal capitalism with economic growth, an obsession which continues apace despite the global ecological crisis and rising inequalities. In the past decade, degrowth has gained momentum and become an umbrella term for various social movements which strive for ecologically sustainable and socially just alternatives that would transform the world we live in. How to move forward in an informed way, without reproducing the existing hierarchies and injustices How not to end up in a situation when ecological sustainability is the prerogative of the privileged, direct democracy is ignorant of environmental issues, and localisation of production is xenophobic These are some of the questions that have inspired this edited collection. Bringing degrowth into dialogue with critical social theories, covering previously unexplored geographical contexts and discussing some of the most contested concepts in degrowth, the book hints at informed paths towards socio-ecological transformation.

Reviews

This book is a gem. It is a must read for any political economist who wants to understand what degrowth is all about. -- Giorgos Kallis, ICREA Research Professor, Universitat Autnoma de Barcelona
Confirming the strengths of the degrowth movement (in face of the illusory aspirations of growth economics), while remaining sensitive to its current limitations, this collection provides a valuable addition to the literature of the most important politico-economic development of our times. The reader will here find fresh optics on the formation and differing geographical settings of a degrowth political economy, and on the conceptual shifts around work, money, welfare and state intervention it will demand and provide for. -- Kate Soper, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy, London Metropolitan University
This vanguard volume provides motives and tools to re-purpose political economy toward sustainable well-being. Nourishing roots of political economic thought and practice (before it became dominated by growth), creative branches seeking other paths (Karl Marx, Andr Gorz, Marilyn Waring), and comparative cases (Brazil, Russia, Turkey), work together to open horizons for action from differing perspectives and positions in our uneven world. -- Susan Paulson, Professor of Latin American Studies, University of Florida, USA

Author Bio

Ekaterina Chertkovskaya is a Researcher in Degrowth and Critical Organisation Studies based at Lund University and a member of the editorial collective of ephemera journal. Alexander Paulsson is a Senior Lecturer at Lund University School of Economics and Management. Stefania Barca is an environmental historian and Senior Researcher, Center for Social Studies, University of Coimbra.