Degrowth: tentative ideas about a research agenda Giorgos Kallis, ICREA Researcher 2nd International Conference on Degrowth, Barcelona, 28 March 2010
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
Definition of degrowth.
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
Growth is unsustainable.
Degrowth has environmental and social benefits (double
dividend).
6. 2. State of degrowth research
7. Strengths
Plurality of approaches.
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
Strengthen propositions.
Engage with contradictions.
Develop theory.
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
Population.
Renewable Energies.
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
The degrowth economy.
The degrowth democracy.
International relations.
17. Contradictions
Degrowth vs. a-growth.
Ecotaxation vs. Decommodification.
Imperative vs. Political proposal.
Well-being vs. Anti-utilitarianism.
Community
Democracy vs. degrow this, but grow that.
18. Theory
Can we build a coherent theory/ies?
Do we have to?
19. What is a theory
How and why things work the way they do? Why x is happening and
not y or z?
Agents of change.
Central problem.
Value theory.
Marxists have a theory. Neoliberal economists have a theory. We
dont.