Possibilities and Politics in Imagining Degrowth

Abstract

The chapter argues that degrowth offers a promising alternative to the more mainstream sustainable development approach embraced by most national governments and international institutions. It first traces the development of the degrowth movement in both activist and academic networks; and moves on to outline its core ideas, namely the critique of growth, the emphasis on social justice and democracy, and the repoliticisation of the economy. The practical measures and institutional arrangements that could facilitate a transition towards degrowth are then explored. Finally, it is suggested that the reorganisation of society away from growth calls for a radical re-articulation of values and a re-imagination of economic relations, for example in terms of abundance, sharing, caring, amateur work. Thus the economy needs to be re-embedded in the social and political rather than seen as autonomous.