Ecovillages in Spain: Looking for an emancipating social transformation?

Abstract

The number of ecovillages in Spain has not ceased to grow in recent years. Spain is currently the second country in the world in number of ecovillages after the United States, according to data from the Global Ecovillage Network (2018). Framed in the theory of Erik Olin Wright on emancipating social transformations, the question addressed here is whether this boom in ecovillages in Spain is an example of an incipient social transformation and cultural change of the rural environment. This work is divided into five main sections. The first introduces the problem, followed by the methodology for the study of 29 ecovillages in Spain using six variables on material interests and ideology (Wright, 2010). After a concise conceptual discussion, the last sections explore some results of the analysis and the practices of social reproduction between ecovillages, which are divided between conventional and interstitial strategies.