A practice approach to the institutionalization of economic degrowth

Maria Joutsenvirta

Ecological Economics, 2016, vol. 128, issue C, 23-32

Abstract: The degrowth literature is rich in critical debate about the unsustainability of the growth-economies and in normative envisioning of a transition. It lacks analyses on actual materialization and the nature of the change required. There have been calls for research that pay attention to institutional constraints and possibilities of implementing a democratic process of sustainable degrowth. This paper introduces a practice approach to institutional agency as a fruitful tool for future studies and politics of degrowth. The potential of this approach is demonstrated through a struggle between Finnish Timebanking activists and the tax authorities. The cultural and institutional transition promoted by radical bottom-up initiatives requires a disruption of existing institutional arrangements some of which may be very persistent and supported by defenders who want to maintain the present institutional order. In the case example, the authorities and politicians managed to preserve the mechanisms through which certain sanctions are associated with the non-compliance of Timebanking with the income tax law. A practice approach to institutionalization increases our understanding of institutional persistence and makes visible forces that support the present ‘status quo’. It also enhances understanding of the opposing dynamics and gives tools to engage in more effective efforts to change institutions.

Keywords: Degrowth; Institutionalization; Practice theory; Power; Economic alternatives (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (20)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921800915301774
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:ecolec:v:128:y:2016:i:c:p:23-32

DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2016.04.006

Access Statistics for this article

Ecological Economics is currently edited by C. J. Cleveland

More articles in Ecological Economics from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().