transcript
- 1. Degrowth: tentative ideas about a research agenda Giorgos
Kallis, ICREA Researcher 2nd International Conference on Degrowth,
Barcelona, 28 March 2010
- 2. This presentation
- My take on the state of degrowth research.
- Tentative research agenda.
- 3. 1. What is degrowth?
- 4. Three notions
- Reduction of production and consumption in physical terms
through downscaling (and not just efficiency improvements).
- Decolonization of the imaginary (a-growth)
- Decommodification reducing the domain of market
rationality.
- 5. The degrowth propositions
- Degrowth has environmental and social benefits (double
dividend).
- 6. 2. State of degrowth research
- 7. Strengths
- Creative mix of different approaches and ideas.
- 8. Contributions
- Unsustainability of eco-modernization (rebound effect, Jevons
paradox, etc)
- Political, cultural and anthropological cricisims of
development, economism, technocentrism and utilitarianism.
- (Re)emerging fresh proposals (basic income, reduced working
hours, resource sanctuaries, moratoria, etc) and practical
examples.
- 9. Weaknesses
- Programmatic laundry lists.
- Lack of solid theoretical grounding or theoretical
development.
- We do not engage enough with our own contradictions.
- Empirical works on alternatives are often methodologically and
theoretically weak.
- 10. 3. Tentative research agenda
- 11. Tentative research agenda
- Engage with contradictions.
- 12. Strengthen propositions
- Unsustainability of growth
- Sustainability of degrowth
- How to? The process of transition.
- Characterize the end state.
- 13. Unsustainability of growth
- Strengthen theoretically and empirically the case against the
possibility of dematerializing growth.
- 14. Sustainability of degrowth
- Hypothesize/model impacts on
-
- Employment and Social Security.
-
- Social infrastructures, etc.
- Metabolic scenarios (e.g. how many people can be fed by
oil-free agriculture and at what levels?).
- Psychological effects under different scenarios vis--vis human
behavior.
- 15. How to? The process of transition
- Structural barriers. Can capitalism degrow sustainably?
- Political processes and transformation.
- 16. The end state
- 17. Contradictions
- Ecotaxation vs. Decommodification.
- Imperative vs. Political proposal.
- Well-being vs. Anti-utilitarianism.
- Democracy vs. degrow this, but grow that.
- 18. Theory
- Can we build a coherent theory/ies?
- 19. What is a theory
- How and why things work the way they do? Why x is happening and
not y or z?
- Marxists have a theory. Neoliberal economists have a theory. We
dont.
- 20. Tentative research agenda
- Engage with contradictions.
- 21. Thank you!