Intentional degrowth and its unintended consequences: Uneven journeys towards post-growth transformations

Thomas S.J. Smith, Mariusz Baranowski and Benedikt Schmid

Ecological Economics, 2021, vol. 190, issue C

Abstract: Proponents of post-growth economic alternatives have repeatedly distinguished between economic recession – a chaotic and harmful economic contraction – and degrowth. In the literature, the latter is often put forward as a planned and intentional process which increases wellbeing while simultaneously reducing ecological harms. This article pays closer attention to what ‘planning’ and ‘intentionality’ mean in this context, exploring some of the limits of this framing for socio-ecological transformation. First, it notes that many key questions related to power and politics in post-growth transformations are left under-examined by such a framing, and, secondly, it highlights that emergence and uncertainty are inevitable aspects of social change. Building on practice theory, we argue for acknowledging the limits of intentionality in favour of concepts such as ‘degrowth practice’, ‘dual power’ and ‘degrowth strategy’. The article concludes by highlighting room for further degrowth engagement with emerging theories of transformation and participatory research approaches.

Keywords: Degrowth; Post-Growth; Post-Capitalism; Transitions; Transformation; Planning (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (7)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:ecolec:v:190:y:2021:i:c:s0921800921002743

DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2021.107215

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