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.

20. Tentative research agenda

• Strengthen propositions.

• Engage with contradictions.

• Develop theory.

21. Thank you!

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