Library

Scientific paper • 2021

Towards an urban degrowth: Habitability, finity and polycentric autonomism

Abstract: Over the last decade, degrowth has offered a concrete alternative to eco-modernization, projecting a society emancipated from the environmentally destructive imperative of competition and consumption. Urban development is the motor of economic growth; cities are therefore prime sites of intervention for degrowth activists. Nevertheless, the planning processes that drive urban...

Misc • 2020

The Simpler Way: Collected Writings of Ted Trainer

By: Ted Trainer, Samuel Alexander, Jonathan Rutherford

Ted Trainer is an Australian scholar-activist who for decades has been defending and practising an 'eco-anarchist' perspective he describes as the Simpler Way. His vision is of a world where self-governing communities live materially simple but sufficient lives, in harmony with ecological limits. This anthology contains some of Trainer's most insightful and provocative essays, covering all...

Position paper • 2020

Matter and regulation: socio-metabolic and accumulation regimes of French capitalism since 1948

By: Louison Cahen-Fourot, Nelo Magalhães

This paper aims at integrating macroeconomic and institutional analyses of long run dynamics of capitalism with material flow analysis. We investigate the links between accumulation and socio-metabolic regimes by studying French capitalism from a material perspective since 1948. We characterize its social metabolism both in production- and consumption-based approaches. We show that the...

Misc • 2020

The lens of ecological law: a look at mining

By: Carla Sbert

Containing an in-depth study of the emerging theory and core of ecological law, this book insightfully proposes a 'lens of ecological law' through which the disparity between current laws and ecological law can be assessed. The lens consists of three principles: ecocentrism, ecological primacy and ecological justice. These principles are used within the book to explore and analyse the...

Scientific paper • 2020

Structure, action and change: a Bourdieusian perspective on the precondition for a degrowth transition

By: Max Koch

A deprioritization of economic growth in policy making in the rich countries will need to be part of a global effort to re-embed economy and society into planetary boundaries. However, societal support for a degrowth transition remains for the time being moderate, and it is not well understood as yet why this is the case. This article argues that Pierre Bourdieu’s sociology can help theorize...

Scientific paper • 2020

Degrowth and critical agrarian studies

By: Julien-François Gerber

Abstract: Degrowth refers to a radical politico-economic reorganisation that leads to smaller and more equitable social metabolisms. Degrowth posits that such a transition is indispensable but also desirable. However, the conditions of its realisation require more research. This article argues that critical agrarian studies (CAS) and degrowth can enrich each other. The Agrarian Question and the...

Scientific paper • 2020

A Conceptual Exploration and Critical Inquiry into the Theoretical Foundation(s) of Economic Welfare Measures

By: Brent Bleys, Jonas Van der Slycken

Economic welfare measures (EWM) such as the ISEW and the GPI are often argued to lack a sound theoretical foundation. However, we observe that the initial EWM were jointly inspired by Hicksian and Fisherian income. Welfare's experiential nature is Fisherian-inspired, whereas seeing the consumption of community capital (e.g. the ecosystem) as a cost is Hicksian-inspired. As most scholars do not...

Scientific paper • 2020

Georgescu-Roegen's Flow-Fund Theory of Production in Retrospect

By: Quentin Couix

This paper provides a synthetic account of Georgescu-Roegen's flow-fund theory, as a contribution to the history of ecological economics. It reconstitutes Georgescu-Roegen's perspective on production, and its relationships with other frameworks, such as the neoclassical production function and input-output tables. The overall purpose is to clearly establish the foundations of the flow-fund...

Misc • 2020

Degrowth Vienna 2020 - Strategic Approaches: an Overview

By: Nathan Barlow, Panos Petridis, Nilda Inkermann, Katya Chertkovskaya

Panel debate This panel aims to give an overview of different strategic approaches for degrowth. Panelists will discuss frameworks or typologies of strategic approaches to assist the discussions on strategy that place in the following days of the conference. Further, challenges and weaknesses of different strategic approaches, as well as inter-linkages between strategies will be...

Interview • 2020

Joanna Pope zu Degrowth & Akzelerationismus

By: Jan Groos

Wissenschaftlicher Podcast zu Degrowth und Akzelerationismus "Kann es so etwas geben wie nachhaltiges Wachstum? Oder sollten wir uns nicht vielmehr vom Prinzip des Wachstums an sich trennen und stattdessen andere Vorstellungen des guten Lebens entwickeln?"

Presentation • 2020

Degrowth Vienna 2020 - Via radical social reforms towards a counter-hegemony?

By: Ulrich Schachtschneider, Frank Adler, Jana Flemming, Barbara Sennholz-Weinhard, Ellen Ehmke

Special session How could counter-hegemony become realistic, which is necessary for a democratic transition? Our thesis: We need a bundle of “non-reformist reforms” (Gorz) which tie on everyday social needs and problems (time pressure, fears of future or descent, deficient recognition etc.) and propose alternative ways of their satisfaction or solution. The chances and barriers of this...

Misc • 2020

Degrowth Vienna 2020 - Agrowth, Degrowth, Postwachstum…Was!? Eine Einführung

By: Maria Paulitsch, Sven-David Pfau

Workshop In diesem Einführungsworkshop machen wir uns mit den Steigerungszwängen der kapitalistischen Gesellschaftsordnung und dem Denken von wachstumskritischen Ansätzen vertraut. Was sind die Ursprünge, Eigenheiten und Ziele der verschiedenen Strömungen? Dabei schauen wir auf Gefahren und Potentiale der verschiedenen Perspektiven für einen emanzipatorischen Wandel zum Guten Leben für Alle!...

Misc • 2020

Degrowth Vienna 2020 - Theories of Transformation

By: Max Koch, Andro Rilović, Julia Tschersich, Mira Pütz

Standard session (discussion following 4 presentations) Structure, Action and Change: A Bourdieusian Perspective on the Preconditions for a Degrowth transition - video A deprioritization of economic growth in policy making in the rich countries will need to be part of a global effort to re-embed economy and society into planetary boundaries. However, societal support for a degrowth...

Presentation • 2020

Degrowth Vienna 2020 - Structure, Action and Change: A Bourdieusian Perspective on the Preconditions for a Degrowth transition

By: Max Koch

Presentation [part of the standard session "Theories of Transformation"] A deprioritization of economic growth in policy making in the rich countries will need to be part of a global effort to re-embed economy and society into planetary boundaries. However, societal support for a degrowth transition remains for the time being moderate, and it is not well understood as yet why this is the case....

Presentation • 2020

Degrowth Vienna 2020 - Applying insights from transformation research for a strategy for the Degrowth movement

By: Julia Tschersich

Presentation [part of the standard session "Theories of Transformation"] This paper applies insights from a review of research on social-ecological transformations, in particular a framework developed to bridge process-oriented and structural approaches, to the Degrowth Movement. It derives suggestions for a common strategy, while embracing the movement‘s diversity. Presenters: Julia...

Presentation • 2020

Degrowth Vienna 2020 - Citizens’ Assemblies: A Lever for Political Change

By: Mira Pütz

Presentation [part of the standard session "Theories of Transformation"] In order to develop and implement socio-ecological (economic) policies the processes and structural conditions of representation in democracies today need to be rethought, re-imagined and changed. Citizens’ assemblies can help us to do just that, starting now. Presenters: Mira Pütz (Sciences Po) Language: English with...

Presentation • 2020

Degrowth Vienna 2020 - Anarchism and degrowth: two sides of the same coin

By: Andro Rilović

Presentation [part of the standard session "Theories of Transformation"] This paper will demonstrate why, when envisaging degrowth transitions and strategies for achieving them, it is essential to seriously engage with arguments concerning the limitations of the State in enacting radical systemic change, emanating from the long and fruitful history of anarchist thought. Presenters: Andro...

Misc • 2020

Degrowth Vienna 2020 - Theories of Degrowth Practices

By: Ruth Falkenberg, David Fox

Standard session (discussion following 2 presentations) Social Work, Ecoanxiety, and Peer Pressure Ecoanxiety is a significant component of the global climate crisis; yet it is mostly absent from collective understanding regarding the Grand Challenge to create social responses to the changing environment. Social work has an opportunity to employ positive peer pressure throughout the...

Presentation • 2020

Degrowth Vienna 2020 - Enacting (de)growth in research practices

By: Ruth Falkenberg, David Fox

Presentation [part of the standard session "Theories of Degrowth Practices"] In this session we explore how growth logics are embedded in research practices. Then, we critically discuss perspectives from Science and Technology Studies and from the Degrowth community on how to enable the practice and organisation of science that is required for socio-ecological transformations. Presenters:...

Scientific paper • 2020

Degrowth business framework: Implications for sustainable development

By: Iana Nesterova

Abstract: Recent years have seen a revival in growth scepticism, yet degrowth in relation to the macroeconomic level has received almost exclusive attention. This resulted in a lack of literature on how post-growth and specifically degrowth visions of economy could be implemented, including from the perspective of firms and other organisations. This paper focuses on degrowth literature and...